Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) - Surgery
In the past, some women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), the severe form of PMS, had surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy) and the uterus (hysterectomy). Without ovaries, a woman no longer has a menstrual cycle.
Surgical removal of the ovaries for PMDD is highly controversial and rarely done. It is only considered if a woman meets all of the following criteria:
Most nights, Karin Wacaser, 48, a public relations consultant in Dallas, sleeps soundly for about 10 hours. But three days before her period, like clockwork, Wacaser has intense insomnia, waking up every hour or two. "It's crazy," she says. "And frustrating. Sometimes I'll toss and turn for an hour until I can go back to sleep."At other times, Wacaser lies awake all night, finally falling asleep around 7 a.m. What is going on? "Each phase of the menstrual cycle has different effects on sleep," says...
Read the Why PMS Gives You Insomnia article > >
- PMS symptoms are severe and regularly disrupt her quality of life.
- She has no future plans to give birth, and she is many years away from natural menopause.
- Symptoms improve with the use of medicines that produce a condition similar to menopause (such as danazol or a GnRH-a).
- All other treatments have failed.
- All or most of the symptoms are directly related to PMDD. Other problems, such as psychological or nonmedical problems, do not appear to contribute to the symptoms.
Removing the ovaries leads to early menopause, and the symptoms tend to be more severe than those of natural menopause. Early menopause also increases the risk of osteoporosis, because low estrogen leads to loss of bone density.
Surgery also has risks related to the procedure or anesthesia. For more information, see the topic Hysterectomy.
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