Kiranmai Gottapu
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Surgery Curr Res
Introduction: Hysterectomy is the most commonly performed major surgery in gynecology. According to literature, hysterectomy is to be done to save life, relieve suffering and to correct deformity. However, according to reports, hysterectomies are being performed for unwarranted reasons. In the state of Andhrapradesh alone, around 10,334 hysterectomies were performed during the year 2008-09. Methods: All the women who underwent hysterectomy for benign conditions before the age of 40years and attending the OPD at a tertiary referral hospital during a two year period from july 2009 to june 2011 were recruited, consented and relevant data collected. Results: A total of 130 women were studied. Most of the women were married before the legal age for marriage in India (18years). The average age at first delivery was just 17 years and the mean number of children ever born per woman who had hysterectomy is 2.8. The average age at which hysterectomies were performed in the study group was 28.6 years. 58% of the sample had hysterectomies before the age of 30 years. Majority of them are illiterate, belonging to low SE status. An overwhelming majority of the women got the surgeries done in private hospitals through abdominal route and the most common indication being white discharge followed by fibroid uterus. It is apparent that a high (39%) percentage of women were subjected to removal of ovaries and in fact, 69% of the women are ignorant about the exact nature of the surgery. Only 12% were advised regarding alternate management. In 11% of hysterectomy specimens no pathologic lesion was found. About 52% women presented with multiple symptoms, the most common being bone pain, accounting for about 33% presenting between 10-15 years after hysterectomy. Conclusion: Although many alternate options of medical management and conservative surgeries are available, hysterectomy is still commonly performed procedure even in developed countries. While awareness has to come among women that hysterectomy is not a solution to all their problems, doctors need to adhere to ethical practice.
Kiranmai Gottapu, completed her master of surgery in Obstetrics & Gynaecology from NTR University of Health Sciences, India in 2008. She is working as assistant professor in the department of OBGY, Alluri sitaramaraju academy of medical sciences, Eluru. She is also a visiting consultant of OBGY Varma Hospitals, Bhimavaram. Her area of interest is Endoscopic Gynaecology, Urogynaecology and Infertility.
