FRIDAY, March 12 (HealthDay News) -- In women with non-cancerous uterine conditions that could be treated with hysterectomy, factors such as their sexual function and attitudes regarding hysterectomy may help determine which patients are most likely to benefit from the surgery, according to research published in the March issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Miriam Kuppermann, Ph.D., of the University of California in San Francisco, and colleagues analyzed data from 1,420 women who had sought care for non-cancerous pelvic issues for which a hysterectomy could be a treatment option. Patients were interviewed each year for up to eight years.
During the study period, 207 women (14.6 percent) had a hysterectomy. The researchers found that factors associated with greater likelihood of hysterectomy included having more sex-related effects from their pelvic problems (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.23) and seeing more benefits from not having a uterus (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.24). Most hysterectomy patients were very or somewhat satisfied in the following year (63.9 and 21.4 percent, respectively). Factors linked to satisfaction included the degree to which patients saw benefits of not having a uterus.
"We have identified numerous important determinants of hysterectomy use and satisfaction that can be used to inform discussions between patients and their providers regarding the optimal use of hysterectomy and alternative treatments for non-cancerous uterine conditions," the authors conclude.
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