Women's Health

Study: Ovary Removal Doesn’t Raise Heart Risk

Comparing Studies continued...

The surviving women in the NHS trial have now been followed for more than three decades, and Parker says he plans to present an updated analysis within the next two years.

“At this point, like a lot of medicine, the decision about whether to remove ovaries during hysterectomy is an individual one, with each patient bringing her own set of circumstances to the table,” he tells WebMD.

Arnold agrees.

In an editorial published with the study, she and co-author Graham Colditz, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine, write that the subtle differences in the two studies may be easily overlooked by doctors when they counsel patients about the potential benefits and risks associated with ovary removal during hysterectomy.

Arnold says many women facing this decision may not even fully understand that ovary removal is an elective procedure.

“Doctors need to remember that there are no clear-cut answers for most women,” she says.