What are ovaries ?
Ovaries are female organs, which are like testes in the males. There are two ovaries, right and left.

What are the functions of the ovaries ?
Ovaries produce eggs and female hormones till 46 to 50 years of age. At this age, all eggs are finished and no more female hormones are produced. This results in menopause. The woman stops having menses even if she has an intact uterus. This is called 'natural' menopause.

What is surgical menopause ?
When both ovaries are removed during hysterectomy the women goes into surgical menopause.

Is removal of uterus equal to menopause ?
There will not be any menses after removal of uterus but this is not equal to menopause. The woman will still continue to have female hormones from her ovaries if they have not been removed.

Are ovaries always removed during hysterectomy operation ?
No, the ovaries need not be removed in all cases of hysterectomy operation.

What are the advantages of keeping the ovaries during hysterectomy ?
If the ovaries are preserved, the woman does not go into menopause immediately. Many women, however, go into menopause within 2 - 3 years after hystrerectomy. The exact cause is not known.

What are the disadvantage of keeping the ovaries ?
Ovaries, if kept, may form cysts in 20% cases. Very rarely, they can develop cancer, but not in all cases. Ovarian cysts that form after hysterectomy are difficult to remove in some cases.

Do women go into immediate menopause after hysterectomy ?
No. Surgical menopause occurs only when ovaries are removed surgically. However, many women go into menopause within 2 - 3 years of hysterectomy even if ovaries are not removed during hysterectomy.