Hysterectomy and the Quality of a Woman's Life

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Abstract
Hysterectomy is the most commonly performed major surgery in the United States (800,000 per year). The number of hysterectomies has been increasing annually in the United States. If this situation continues in the future, it will result in loss of the uterus by more than half the female population by the age of 65 years. The hysterectomy rate in the United States is proportionately twice that of England and Wales.1 These data have stimulated discussion from many sectors of American society regarding the necessity for this treatment. Nevertheless, most women still depend on their primary care physician for referral to a surgeon. Therefore, this physician has a critical role in determining the physical necessity for the hysterectomy and the possibility of the surgery improving the quality of the woman's life. The Executive Board of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has recently issued a policy statement that gives

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