- 39%.
- 40-50 years (during this decade 15% of all women have a hysterectomy; by age 50 years, 25% of all women have had a hysterectomy).
- In only one-quarter of cases is there any associated uterine or other pathology, so the diagnosis in about three-quarters of cases is dysfunctional uterine bleeding with no diagnosed pathology.
- Even when the ovaries are not removed during hysterectomy, the relative risk of cardiovascular disease during the subsequent 10 years is 2.6-5 times above that for control groups not undergoing hysterectomy. The major risk is myocardial infarction, which occurs in 4% of women within 10 years.
- The major determinants of hysterectomy rates are likely to be:
- Preference by women for surgical over non-surgical treatment for symptoms.
- Low tolerance of social inconvenience.
- Relatively easy access to surgery through state- or insurance-funded health services.
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