Embolization

On Hysterectomy, Endometriosis and Embolization

Mar 31, 2024

Women's Studies scholars should be interested in this subject because, if nothing else, it's something that can only be done to women. It has gender, social, political, and economic consequences. It malforms every aspect of the women directly affected-anatomically, physiologically, psychologically, professionally, socially, and economically. The unrestricted destruction of women's bodies and lives for over a century is a medical atrocity. – The H Word

If they don’t cut her, they burn her, and if they don’t burn her, they inject stuff into her body, until they can come back later to either burn or cut her.

All the while their ~~education~~ indoctrination has trained them to lie.

I’m just about “hysterectomy’d out”…for now…I think.

This is the 7^th stack in the Hysterectomy Series:

Hormones - Interview with Carol Petersen
Hysterectomy
Female Castration
Anaphrodisia
Beyond Surgery - Interview no.2 with Carol Petersen
Ablation
Embolization

I’m still in a daze about the whole thing.

The H Word – Chapter 12 – Endometriosis

Nora Coffey

At some point a tall woman who was barely able to walk approached me with a menacing look on her face. She said, "That's why I'm here! That's why I'm back here! That's what screwed me up! I keep coming back to get them to do something about this, but it's not getting any better." She stayed with me, reading the entire pamphlet out loud at my side. She said she was hysterectomized for endometriosis, but she was in more pain after the surgery than before.

Novelist Hilary Mantel writes, "If you skew the endocrine system, you lose the pathways to self." The narrator of Giving Up The Ghost believes that her surgery was necessary, but most women who were told they have endometriosis don't have their diagnosis confirmed by a pathologist.

Endometriosis occurs when tissue from the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) migrates through the fallopian tubes, where it implants itself in the pelvis. The endometrial implants in the pelvis bleed during menstruation, causing pain during menses. It can also be caused by surgery, such as a C-Section or laparoscopy, when endometrial tissue becomes displaced when the uterus is cut into. Women are increasingly diagnosed with endometriosis as gynecologists perform more and more unnecessary, invasive treatments.

The first symptoms of endometriosis are severe menstrual cramps. The endometrial implants in the pelvis bleed during menstruation, causing pain during menses. A woman is told she has endometriosis and put on drugs to stop menstruation. Finally, the doctor performs a diagnostic laparoscopy—an examination using a laparoscope, a tube-shaped instrument inserted through the abdominal wall allowing the doctor to view the internal organs. It’s common after laparoscopy for doctors to tell women they have stage 4 endometriosis: “It’s all over your organs, your bladder. your bowels everywhere." It's not long thereafter she's in an operating room being hysterectomized and castrated.

Typically, after the surgery doctors say, "It's the worst case I've ever seen." So women are grateful that the alleged problem was solved, but when they get the pathology report nine out of 10 times they discover they didn't have it. Sometimes it's not until they go from doctor to doctor searching for a solution to their post-hysterectomy problems that someone asks them why the hysterectomy was performed in the first place. It's then, or when they call HERS, that they learn there was no endometriosis in the pathology report. Their organs were normal.

The only objective and non-invasive way of diagnosing endometriosis is with an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the pelvis.

When endometrial implants migrate into the wall of the uterus as opposed to migrating out of the pelvis, as is the case with endometriosis, the condition is called adenomyosis, or endometriosis interna. Like endometriosis, the only objective way to diagnose adenomyosis is with an MRI of the pelvis, and similar to endometriosis, 9 out of 10 times the post-operative report fails to confirm adenomyosis. Adenomyosis is rare in women who haven't had children, and symptoms include continuous very heavy menstrual hooding without large blood clots and pelvic and vaginal pressure that feels like the uterus is trying to push out through the vagina.

It's unnecessary and unadvisable to undergo exploratory laparoscopy to determine if you have either of these conditions.

Operating rooms are dangerous places, and if you can obtain a diagnosis with a non-invasive test or study, it's safer than being in an operating room. Also, the objective film from the MRI will demonstrate whether or not you have the condition, rather than relying on a doctor who says they saw endometrial implants.

When it does exist, acupuncture is often effective at reducing bleeding, pain, or pressure, but the permanent cure is naturally-occurring menopause. With the exception of acupuncture, the most conservative treatment options, including Danazol, birth control pills, and GnRH agonists (such as Lupron and Synarel) have serious side effects. None of them can be used for more than a few months at a time. Although taking out the uterus and ovaries may stop endometriosis from growing in women who don't take hormones, HERS has yet to hear from a woman who had the surgery for endometriosis who wouldn't take back her pain to regain the functions of her female organs and her health and wellbeing.

The H Word – Chapter 19 - Fibroids-hormones, myomectomy, embolization.

Rick Schweikert

Every so often a gynecologist like Ben Thamrong makes the headlines. He's the Manhattan gynecologist who was convicted of Medicaid fraud after being arrested for offering $1,500 and a watch to a state health department investigator. Thamrong was ordered to surrender his license to practice, and was "stricken from the roster of physicians in the State of New York. The suspended licenses and arrests of gynecologists for bilking the government is the tip of the iceberg of the problem of hysterectomy in this country. The larger offense they commit - removing female organs without informed consent - is legal. Until performing hysterectomies without informed consent is made illegal too, it will continue to go largely unpunished.

Gynecologists become enraged when the facts about hysterectomy are made public. But when the latest medical cash cows and hysterectomy "alternatives" like ablation and embolization are marketed to women, doctors often contradict each other within the same medical journal. In the American Family Physician, Steven Janney Smith, a doctor at LaGrange Memorial Hospital in Illinois, writes:

As an alternative to hysterectomy, uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) avoids the complications and side effects associated with hysterectomy, which include a six-week recovery period, a 2 percent risk of postoperative bleeding and a 15 to 38 percent risk of a postoperative febrile illness. A decrease in sexual function, depression and an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease have also been reported following hysterectomy.

In the same journal, John Buck of Georgetown University School of Medicine argues the opposite: "Definitive surgery with hysterectomy improves most patients' symptoms with minimal effects on sexual function."! Finally, American Family Physician also published "ACOG Releases Guidelines on Management of Adnexal Masses" under the heading "HYSTERECTOMY AND OOPHOREC TOMY" which says, "the extent of surgery usually depends on the diagnosis, patient's age, and the patient's desire for ovarian function or fertility."? If a guideline was published under the heading PENECTOMY AND ORCHIECTOMY, it's unlikely anyone would say that removal of the penis and testicles depends on a man's age and his desire to maintain penile and testicular function.

It was always nice when one of the protests happened to have been scheduled in a town where a friend or family member lived. The Colorado protest was special to me because it wasn't until I wrote un becoming that I discovered that a dear friend in Denver had been hysterectomized many years before. It's a testimony to the power of what's not said in this country that I can't use her real name here. I'll call her Anna. Her story, along with that of another woman I met in Denver named Carla Dionne, is a good example of how what isn't said can sometimes be of greater consequence than what is said.

When I was preparing for the opening of un becoming at the 45^th Street Theater in New York, a mutual friend of Anna's and mine called to say, "Well you know Anna had one, right?" I began to wonder how many women I knew had been hysterectomized without my knowing about it. It might be in a theater with me, I thought, where they'd make that first crushing realization about why they had so many post-hysterectomy problems.

I decided to broach the subject rather than wait for Anna to do so, but I didn't have to. She called me, and almost without introduction said, "I want to give you my support, and I'll be there for you, but I had a hysterectomy and it was the best thing I ever did."

"Anna, you're married to a great guy and you have kids and grandkids. Surely you don't mean to say that having your female organs removed was the best thing you ever did."

"I had to have it, Rick," she said coolly. "I had fibroids that were pre-cancerous."

I then asked her about her health since the surgery, and the conversation took another familiar turn.

The first of Anna's three suicide attempts came in the first year after her hysterectomy, but she said that was due to depression related to her complicated childhood. She was diagnosed with manic-depression, had back surgery, and began sleeping in a separate bedroom from her husband after she was hysterectomized in a hospital that was part of the massive corporation that employed her.

Anna was the first person to reserve a ticket to see the premiere of un becoming in New York. On the way out of the theater everyone received a HERS pamphlet and a notice regarding the upcoming Protest & Play tour. Denver was on the schedule, to Anna and I talked about spending time together when I got into town. But regarding the central message of the play, she said nothing.

Five months later I was in Denver getting the protest underway at Exempla St. Joseph Hospital. St. Joseph's is a popular name for hospitals, including the one where I was born in Omaha. Exempla, the Latin plural form of exemplum, is a word that means something like "anecdotes that illustrate moral arguments." Their website says, "Most women do not have complications after a hysterectomy." But it's not possible to sever the nerves, blood supply, and ligaments that attach to the uterus and then remove a sex organ that supports the bladder and the bowel without adverse effects.

Anna didn't join us at the protest because, among other reasons, she was employed by the corporation that owned Exempla. The hospital was located in a quiet neighborhood, but we handed out a lot of materials to people walking from the garage to the hospital.

There was a woman walking back and forth on the opposite sidewalk, furiously taking notes while staring at us. I thought maybe she was a journalist. At some point she left, and I didn't think anymore about it, until I met a woman who looked just like her later that afternoon at the El Centro Su Teatro reading of un becoming.

Su Teatro was one of two theater companies to respond to our request for proposals to produce readings of un becoming in Denver: The role of Susan Herse, a character who is hysterectomized in the play, was played by a woman named Yolanda, who was herself hysterectomized. It was only the second time an actress with first-hand experience with the issues played Susan. Because Su Teatro was short one actor, I played the role of Dr. Ridge.

Anna said little during the talkback, but another woman in the last row was very vocal. Anna observed her closely. The seating at Su Teatro was raked, so the stage lighting was between us and the audience. I blocked my eyes to get a better look at the woman. She had bushy, shoulder-length, sandy-blond hair, and she wore eyeglasses, similar to the person I thought was a journalist at the protest. She talked excitedly in incomplete sentences, and she brought up uterine artery embolization as an alternative treatment to hysterectomy. So we addressed her questions with Nora's standard fibroid "lecture."

Fibroids are benign growths of muscle and connective tissue. They grow until women reach menopause, with a rapid growth spurt generally occurring in the late 30s to early 40s, and another growth spurt just before menopause. At menopause they tend to gradually shrink to a negligible size and calcify.

Fibroids aren't a disease. If you've got them it's because they're part of your genetic blueprint. They rarely cause any problems. But submucosal fibroids-located in the endometrium (the inside layer of the uterus)—can cause heavy menstrual bleeding and pain when large blood clots are passed during menstruation. Sometimes the heavy bleeding can make it difficult for women to manage their daily lives, and in some instances it can cause anemia (abnormally low levels of red blood cells) resulting in iron deficiency.

The best way to increase iron levels is to eat liver. If you don't like liver, you might find it more palatable to eat it the way it's served in Japan—by sauteing or broiling it and then dipping it in soy sauce—or by buying cooked chopped liver and adding soy sauce. Dark leafy green vegetables such as collard greens, kale or spinach are also high in iron, but they can’t restore iron levels as quickly as liver.

Doctors like Anna's often tell women their fibroids might turn into cancer, a condition known as a leiomyosarcoma. But less than 1% of fibroids are cancerous.

Doctors also tell women fibroids will damage their kidney or bowels by pressing on them, but that too is extremely rare. Women who develop fibroids often don't have any symptoms and don't know they have them unless a doctor tells them.

Both estrogen and progesterone stimulate fibroid growth. Many doctors prescribe progesterone to stop heavy menstrual bleeding and reduce the size of fibroids, but both hormones make them grow." Doctors also recommend "natural" progesterone yam creams that manufacturers claim will shrink fibroids, but they too generally make fibroids grow. Eating certain foods like tofu (or any soy products) can also stimulate abnormally high production of estrogen, especially in women who eat large amounts of it.

Small submucosal fibroids (4cm or less) that cause heavy bleeding can be shelled out in a procedure called a hysteroscopic resection. A hysteroscope is inserted through the vagina, into the cervix, and then into the uterus. A tool is attached to the scope and the surgeon chips away at the fibroid until nothing remains but the shell. Submucosal fibroids that are larger than 4cm can't be removed hysteroscopically. Fibroids larger than 4cm can be removed with myomectomy.

Myomectomy is the surgical removal of fibroids, leaving the uterus intact. It's still a major operation, but like a hysteroscopic resection it leaves the uterus intact. Any doctor who says a myomectomy can't be performed because of the large size, number, or location of fibroids is simply wrong. Here's what they should say, but rarely do: "I don't have the skill to perform a myomectomy, so I'll recommend you to a more competent surgeon who does."

If you determine that your fibroids should be removed and you find a doctor who claims she or he has the skill to perform a myomectomy, the following questions will be helpful in determining if the doctor has consistently good outcomes with the surgery:

1) Are you board certified in gynecology? The desired answer would of course be "yes." Many doctors flunk their gynecology boards multiple times, so it's a minimal expectation that they've passed their boards in their area of expertise.
2) How many myomectomies have you performed? It's best to choose a doctor who has performed at least 50.
3) How many of the myomectomies you've performed started out as a myomectomy, but ended in a hysterectomy? Answer: More than 2 out of 50 is too many, and you should find a different doctor.
4) This is the most important question of all: How many of the women you've performed myomectomies on received a blood transfusion? If the doctor answers you with something like, "It's a really bloody, complicated surgery," then you know you've got the wrong doctor. In that doctor's hands, myomectomy may be a bloody, complicated surgery, but it's generally not for a skilled surgeon. More than 2 blood transfusions in 50 myomectomies is too many.
5) How do you control bleeding during the surgery? You want a doctor who either uses the drug Pitressin or Vasopressin. These drugs are injected directly into the uterus, which causes it to temporarily blanche and diminishes the blood flow. Another acceptable method is a tourniquet, or a combination of a tourniquet and one of these drugs.
6) Finally, if you're told you need to be given the drug Lupron to undergo a myomectomy, then you've got the wrong doctor.

The woman in the back of the audience at Su Teatro was talking about a procedure called uterine artery embolization (UAE). It's been renamed uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), apparently for marketing reasons, because the use of the accurate term "artery embolization" is alarming to women. As Robert Mendelsohn M.D. once said to Nora, gynecologists won't stop performing hysterectomies "until they have another more profitable procedure waiting in the wings." UAE is one such surgery.

It involves essentially starving the fibroids of blood supply by occluding (blocking) the arteries that feed them. A surgeon injects embolic material, such as tiny plastic or gelatin balls, polyvinyl alcohol particles, microspheres, embospheres, gel foam, or even metal coils into the femoral artery, and then into the uterine artery that supplies blood to the fibroid. The idea is that the embolic material will then block the blood supply to the fibroids. Theoretically the fibroids will shrink.

One of the problems is that the fibroids share the same blood supply as other organs, including the uterus, ovaries, and external genitalia. When the blood supply to any part of your body is blocked, the tissue that depends on that blood supply may become necrotic. It can die. The idea of UAE is to only target the fibroids, but if the fibroid tissue does become necrotic it can also cause sepsis (systemic infection), as is noted in numerous articles and studies.

When a doctor obstructs the artery that provides blood flow to the fibroid, he or she might also inadvertently cut off the blood supply to that part of the uterus, and the uterus itself may become necrotic. FDA maintains a database of hundreds of reported complications of UAE. Although it details only a small percentage of the actual number of adverse results (the only complication that must be reported is death), it's a significant number. The Adverse Events database can be accessed by going to "FDA Maude" FDA website and entering the search terms "uterine artery embolization" or "uterine fibroid embolization."

There's a long list of adverse effects listed under medical journal references at www.uterinearteryembolization.com [site no longer active], including misembolization (the migration of the embolic material to the legs and other organs, such as the ovaries), sexual dysfunction, and death. HERS has counseled many women with permanent, disabling damage from UAE. Some women experience necrosis of the uterus (leading to a hysterectomy that wasn't necessary before the UAE), necrosis of the vagina, the buttocks, bladder, bowel, and kidney. And many women who call HERS experience a loss of ovarian function, resulting in a de facto castration.

Although UAE does sometimes stop bleeding caused by a fibroid, the relief may be temporary but the embolic material remains in the body for the rest of the woman's life and can cause other health problems. It can't be removed from the vascular system.

Nor does UAE always shrink fibroids or stop them from continuing to grow. We won't know just how dangerous UAE is until the effects of long-term exposure to radiation (fluoroscopy allowing doctors to see inside the artery) and the injection of plate-balls and metal coils into the human bloodstream plays itself out in the lives of millions of women. The procedure is being tested in the open market, and women are the human test animals. Recently a 41 year-old woman died two days after a doctor performed a UAE on her.

I am reporting this for my friend who had this procedure done last week and died as a result of it. The procedure was done at North Ridge Hospital. The procedure was stopped midway thru as her breathing had become very difficult.
The information that we have is that the particles infiltrated her lungs—2 days later her heart stopped. We want it to be known and reported.

HERS works with FDA to post the UAE complications that get reported, but that accounts for only a small percentage of the actual number of bad outcomes. HERS also facilitates the reporting when the hospital, doctor, and/or device manufacturer fail to do so. Although FDA recommends reporting adverse effects, doctors and hospitals aren't required to, except in the event of death. This means that other serious, disabling complications such as chronic severe pain, inability to walk, or outcomes that require fulltime care usually aren't reported. Reporting is recommended, but voluntary. And admitting flaws in treatment isn't good for business.

In this way we answered the woman's questions about UAE in the Su Teatro talkback, but she seemed increasingly frustrated and angry with the facts about UAE and the experiences women report to HERS. Finally, she fell silent. Afterwards I followed her outside to thank her for her comments. When I caught up with her, she asked, "You don't know who I am, do you?"

"No, should I?"

"Well, I'm Carla Dionne!" she said.

“You're Carla Dionne of the National Uterine Fibroid Foundation?"

According to their website, NUFF is a "not for profit public benefit corporation organized to engage in charitable, educational and scientific activities related to the care and treatment of women who have uterine fibroids or related conditions of the reproductive system." NUFF provides an online list of its sponsors and donors. The first company on the list of sponsors is Biosphere Medical, a company that manufactures embolic materials (plastic balls) commonly used in UAE, which carries the registered trademark "Embosphere Microspheres."

If you visit cafepress.com/nuff, NUFF offers t-shirts and buttons that say "Ask me about Uterine Fibroid Embolization," hats, sweatshirts, camisoles, bumper stickers, journals, mugs, mouse pads, license plate holders, and even the "Myoma Free Teddy Bear." Myoma is another name for fibroid. The teddy bear has a t-shirt emblazoned with "Myoma Free with Womb for Ovaries!" There are no "Ask me about Myomectomy" t-shirts and buttons.

Dionne herself underwent a UAE, and here's what she wrote about it in a journal she published online at www.uterinefibroids.com:

"hot flashes and night sweats"
“crying in pain” so badly, she says, that she told the nurses to "just kill me and get it over with"
loss of peripheral and "distance vision"..."the blood vessels that send the eye signal to the brain," she say, “apparently have had something occur to them"
coughing fits "quickly joined by vomiting and uncontrollable spurts of urination," although later she yell at the doctor for suggesting that she has bladder problems as a result of the UAE
sexual dysfunction-"This is one area of my UAE that. I would have to register in as experiencing a profound loss," she says, "so deeply felt that it can't be expressed in words strong enough without causing tears and an emotional flood of senses."
Loss of uterine orgasm—"I've now concluded that they are gone forever," she says, in a way that mirrors "women who've experienced sexual dysfunction after a hysterectomy." The problem is, she says, "Doctors aren't telling patients of this potential consequence and I'm none too happy about it."

One of the journal entries dated Monday, November 16, 1998 says that a Dr. Broder asked her, "Did anyone ever discuss myomectomy with you?" Dionne answered yes, two gynecologists suggested it to her, but, "Neither gyn wanted to do the myomectomy." However, when Dionne was interviewed by Paul Indman, he asked, "No one offered you a myomectomy?" and Dionne answered, "No, no one ever offered me a myomectomy." But then when he asked her if she'd had a myomectomy after the UAE, she said yes. Indman then pointed out the obvious: "So now that you've had an embolization and still had to have surgery about that, do you feel that the embolization was a bad thing since you needed surgery?" Dionne replied, "I don't, and I'd choose it again."

Dionne and I talked on the front steps of Su Teatro for a short while. She said she'd send me information about UAE, but I never received it.

Anna, Nora, and I had lunch at the Mercury Café, where the second Denver reading would be staged. Anna picked up one of the HERS pamphlets on the table and began reading it. I was surprised to see it in her hands, because we still hadn't said a word to each other about hysterectomy since our conversation six months earlier. Anna pointed her finger at the long list of adverse effects. As she moved her finger down the list she said, "That one's me…and that one's me…and that one's me." I excused myself, leaving Anna alone with Nora so they could talk.

The next day after the protest Nora and I drove up into the Colorado Rockies west of Denver. We stopped at a cafe with hummingbird feeders on the corners of an outdoor deck, and Nora gave pamphlets to everyone there.

That evening I spent more time with Anna. She talked about how a lot of people are only interested in looking at the sunny side of life, but how that's only half of the picture. The next day I bought a pair of rose-colored sunglasses and wrapped them in a note, telling her sometimes it's okay to only look at the sunny side of life.

Thank You for Being Part of Our Community

Your presence here is greatly valued. If you've found the content interesting and useful, please consider supporting it through a paid subscription. While all our resources are freely available, your subscription plays a vital role. It helps in covering some of the operational costs and supports the continuation of this independent research and journalism work. Please make full use of our Free Libraries.

Discover Our Free Libraries:

Unbekoming Interview Library: Dive into a world of thought-provoking interviews across a spectrum of fascinating topics.

Unbekoming Book Summary Library: Explore concise summaries of groundbreaking books, distilled for efficient understanding.

Hear From Our Subscribers: Check out the [Subscriber Testimonials] to see the impact of this Substack on our readers.

Share Your Story or Nominate Someone to Interview:

I'm always in search of compelling narratives and insightful individuals to feature. Whether it's personal experiences with the vaccination or other medical interventions, or if you know someone whose story and expertise could enlighten our community, I'd love to hear from you. If you have a story to share, insights to offer, or wish to suggest an interviewee who can add significant value to our discussions, please don't hesitate to get in touch at unbekoming@outlook.com. Your contributions and suggestions are invaluable in enriching our understanding and conversation.

Resources for the Community:

For those affected by COVID vaccine injury, consider the FLCCC Post-Vaccine Treatment as a resource.

Discover 'Baseline Human Health': Watch and share this insightful 21-minute video to understand and appreciate the foundations of health without vaccination.

Books as Tools: Consider recommending 'Official Stories' by Liam Scheff to someone seeking understanding. Start with a “safe” chapter such as Electricity and Shakespeare and they might find their way to vaccination.

Your support, whether through subscriptions, sharing stories, or spreading knowledge, is what keeps this community thriving. Thank you for being an integral part of this journey.

Hysterectomy calculation

Analysis and estimation of the number of women worldwide who have had a hysterectomy, including steps and data points:

Step 1: Determine the current global female population

World population as of 2023: 8 billion (UN Population Division)
Assuming roughly equal gender distribution: 50% female
Global female population: 8 billion × 50% = 4 billion women

Step 2: Identify the age range in which hysterectomies are most common

Hysterectomies are most frequently performed on women aged 40-54 (NCBI)
Global female population aged 40-54: Approximately 15.9% (World Bank)
Number of women in this age range: 4 billion × 15.9% = 636 million

Step 3: Gather hysterectomy prevalence rates from various countries

United States: 7.5 per 1,000 women (NCBI)
Australia: 5.1 per 1,000 women (AIHW)
Germany: 3.6 per 1,000 women (Dtsch Arztebl Int)
Brazil: 5.1 per 1,000 women (SciELO)
India: 4.0 per 1,000 women (IJRCOG)

Step 4: Estimate a global average hysterectomy prevalence rate

Average of the above rates: (7.5 + 5.1 + 3.6 + 5.1 + 4.0) ÷ 5 = 5.06 per 1,000 women
Adjust for potential underreporting and limited data from developing countries: 4 to 6 per 1,000 women

Step 5: Apply the estimated prevalence rate to the target age group

Lower estimate: 636 million × (4 ÷ 1,000) = 2.54 million
Upper estimate: 636 million × (6 ÷ 1,000) = 3.82 million

Step 6: Account for hysterectomies performed outside the target age range

Assume 20-30% of hysterectomies occur outside the 40-54 age range
Lower estimate: 2.54 million ÷ 0.8 = 3.18 million
Upper estimate: 3.82 million ÷ 0.7 = 5.46 million

Step 7: Consider the cumulative effect over time

Hysterectomy rates have varied over the past few decades
Assume an average global female life expectancy of 75 years (WHO)
Multiply the estimates by 35 years (75 - 40) to account for the cumulative effect

Final estimates:

Lower estimate: 3.18 million × 35 = 111.3 million
Upper estimate: 5.46 million × 35 = 191.1 million

Conclusion: Based on the available data and the above assumptions, it is estimated that between 111.3 million and 191.1 million women worldwide have had a hysterectomy. However, this range should be considered a rough approximation due to limited global data and the variability in hysterectomy rates across countries and over time.

Oophorectomy calculation

Analysis to estimate the number of women worldwide who have had an oophorectomy, following similar steps and data points as the hysterectomy estimate:

Step 1: Determine the current global female population

World population as of 2023: 8 billion (UN Population Division)
Assuming roughly equal gender distribution: 50% female
Global female population: 8 billion × 50% = 4 billion women

Step 2: Identify the age range in which oophorectomies are most common

Oophorectomies are most frequently performed on women aged 45-64 (NCBI)
Global female population aged 45-64: Approximately 18.7% (World Bank)
Number of women in this age range: 4 billion × 18.7% = 748 million

Step 3: Gather oophorectomy prevalence rates from various countries

United States: 2.1 per 1,000 women (NCBI)
United Kingdom: 1.2 per 1,000 women (NCBI)
Australia: 1.8 per 1,000 women (AIHW)
South Korea: 1.5 per 1,000 women (PLOS ONE)

Step 4: Estimate a global average oophorectomy prevalence rate

Average of the above rates: (2.1 + 1.2 + 1.8 + 1.5) ÷ 4 = 1.65 per 1,000 women
Adjust for potential underreporting and limited data from developing countries: 1.5 to 2 per 1,000 women

Step 5: Apply the estimated prevalence rate to the target age group

Lower estimate: 748 million × (1.5 ÷ 1,000) = 1.12 million
Upper estimate: 748 million × (2 ÷ 1,000) = 1.50 million

Step 6: Account for oophorectomies performed outside the target age range

Assume 15-25% of oophorectomies occur outside the 45-64 age range
Lower estimate: 1.12 million ÷ 0.85 = 1.32 million
Upper estimate: 1.50 million ÷ 0.75 = 2.00 million

Step 7: Consider the cumulative effect over time

Oophorectomy rates have varied over the past few decades
Assume an average global female life expectancy of 75 years (WHO)
Multiply the estimates by 30 years (75 - 45) to account for the cumulative effect

Final estimates:

Lower estimate: 1.32 million × 30 = 39.6 million
Upper estimate: 2.00 million × 30 = 60.0 million

Conclusion: Based on the available data and the above assumptions, it is estimated that between 39.6 million and 60.0 million women worldwide have had an oophorectomy. As with the hysterectomy estimate, this range should be considered a rough approximation due to limited global data and the variability in oophorectomy rates across countries and over time.

ConcernedGrammy

Here's the stats on the females in my family who've had a hysterectomy.

Mom - age 36 in early 60s

Sister -age 27 in early 70s

Sister -age 29 in late 70s (ovaries)

Niece -age 28 in late-80s

Grand niece -age 23-had a double uterus in mid-80s(ovaries)

Me -age 32 in mid-90s

Step-daughter -age 43 in 2023

Friend -age 32 in 2023

Expand full comment

4 replies by Unbekoming and others

Jayne Evans

Apr 1, 2024

My endometriosis was finally diagnosed by MRI after years of going to doctors and getting no answers for my constant pain. But this is not a test used routinely for this query. I had the MRI as my workplace was testing the coils and procedures for the newly installed scanner. Standard of care is ultrasound.

It was Homeopathy that gave me a pain free life.

https://abikahealth.com.au/healing-endometriosis/

5 more comments...

Lies are Unbekoming

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?