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Hysterectomy
Your doctor may suggest a hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus) to treat your problems.
It may be because you have cancer. Or, you may be suffering from a non- cancerous condition. This discussion is mostly for people who do not have cancer.
Should where you live determine whether or not you get a hysterectomy?
Chart 6: Admission Rates for Hysterectomy looks at the number of hysterectomies done that were not related to cancer.
The Maine Quality Forum is concerned about the fact that where you live appears to affect the number of non-cancer hysterectomies done across Maine.
Deciding to have you uterus removed is a difficult decision because it is usually not a life or death decision. It is not a black or white decision.
Only you know how you feel. You must learn about your choices. You must learn about what is safe and what works. It is important to talk to different people to understand all of your choices. Then you can make the right decision for yourself.
If every where in Maine were the same the bars on the chart would all be short. We expect that things will be somewhat different in one town when compared to the rest of the state. Bars to the left indicate less often than expected, bars to the right indicate more often than expected.
Our data suggests that where you live is a factor in the decision to have surgery.
We do not think that where you live should be an important factor. Discuss our concern with your primary care provider and your surgeon.
