Hysto & Testosterone Questions

[winter8]

Hi everyone,

I'm writing to ask about your experiences with having oophorectomy +/- hysterectomy, especially as it pertains to being on testosterone.  I would be grateful to hear how you chose the procedure you did, how it has affected your quality of life, and how (if at all) it has affected the dosage of testosterone that you're on.

I've been on testosterone and post-top surgery for a little over three years, and for medical reasons, I would like to try to reduce my testosterone dosage in the next few years.  I had planned to have a hysterectomy with or without an oophorectomy after I turned 45 (due to increased morbidity associated with having it before that age); however, I'm now planning to move the surgery up by over a decade because of ongoing medical issues related to hormone therapy.  Because there's so little data available on how these surgeries affect men, I'm hoping to gain some understanding of other's experiences (I'm not seeking medical advice, just shared experiences).  In particular, I'd be interested to hear:

- Did you have a simple hysterectomy, total, just an oophorectomy, or a complete hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy?

- What made you decide to have the procedure that you had?

- What did you expect, and what did you not expect to happen as a result of the surgery?

- How has your quality of life changed as a result of the surgery?  (esp. with respect to physical health and function)

- How long did it take for you to fully recover from surgery?

- Did your testosterone dosage change after surgery?  If so, in what way? (no need to list exact dosage, you could just say that it increased slightly or decreased by x%)

- Have your free T values changed since having surgery (with or without dosage adjustment)?

- If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently, if anything, or what would you wish you had known before going in?


Thank you for any feedback, especially given that I know this can be a difficult subject.

[Dex]

Hi everyone,

I'm writing to ask about your experiences with having oophorectomy +/- hysterectomy, especially as it pertains to being on testosterone.  I would be grateful to hear how you chose the procedure you did, how it has affected your quality of life, and how (if at all) it has affected the dosage of testosterone that you're on.

I've been on testosterone and post-top surgery for a little over three years, and for medical reasons, I would like to try to reduce my testosterone dosage in the next few years.  I had planned to have a hysterectomy with or without an oophorectomy after I turned 45 (due to increased morbidity associated with having it before that age); however, I'm now planning to move the surgery up by over a decade because of ongoing medical issues related to hormone therapy.  Because there's so little data available on how these surgeries affect men, I'm hoping to gain some understanding of other's experiences (I'm not seeking medical advice, just shared experiences).  In particular, I'd be interested to hear:

- Did you have a simple hysterectomy, total, just an oophorectomy, or a complete hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy?

- What made you decide to have the procedure that you had?

- What did you expect, and what did you not expect to happen as a result of the surgery?

- How has your quality of life changed as a result of the surgery?  (esp. with respect to physical health and function)

- How long did it take for you to fully recover from surgery?

- Did your testosterone dosage change after surgery?  If so, in what way? (no need to list exact dosage, you could just say that it increased slightly or decreased by x%)

- Have your free T values changed since having surgery (with or without dosage adjustment)?

- If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently, if anything, or what would you wish you had known before going in?


Thank you for any feedback, especially given that I know this can be a difficult subject.

Hey man! I'm 34 and had my hysterectomy when I was 32. I'll take your info by point:

- Did you have a simple hysterectomy, total, just an oophorectomy, or a complete hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy?

I had a complete hysterectomy including removing the ovaries and Fallopian tubes. (Hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy)

- What made you decide to have the procedure that you had?

I had struggled with PCOS and endometriosis since I began having periods. Despite being on T 2 years, I still had consistent pelvic pain. Since I have no desire to ever not be on T, I preferred to do away with any female reproductive organs and not have to ever have subsequent surgery if I continued to have pain and cramping.

- What did you expect, and what did you not expect to happen as a result of the surgery?

I expected to no longer have pelvic pain. This has been the case for me. I am (and have been) free of pelvic pain since my recovery was complete. I did not expect the psychological boost I got from knowing those organs no longer remained.

- How has your quality of life changed as a result of the surgery?  (esp. with respect to physical health and function)

My quality of life is much better because I no longer suffer from near constant mild to moderate pain. I have not had any negative impacts physically nor any function issues like incontinence or reduction of bone density (that I know of). I can still do all the things I used to do.

- How long did it take for you to fully recover from surgery?

I felt pretty good at 4 weeks and back to normal at 6.

- Did your testosterone dosage change after surgery?  If so, in what way? (no need to list exact dosage, you could just say that it increased slightly or decreased by x%)

I had to reduce my dosage after surgery. My levels were very high in the weeks after surgery. My dosage was reduced by about 20% and has remained constant with good lab values since.

- Have your free T values changed since having surgery (with or without dosage adjustment)?

Other than the blip where my T was too high immediately following surgery, my levels stabilized and are consistently in the normal male range just as they were prior to surgery.

- If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently, if anything, or what would you wish you had known before going in?

I wouldn't change anything. Everyone is different but I am so happy to be free of the issues I had for 15 years with my reproductive organs. I am scheduled to have bottom surgery on 6/15 so I am also well healed and in a good position for that surgery. I did try to get back to normal activity too quickly with my recovery and if I could do it over again, I'd have taken it more easy in the first few weeks. I wish I had known how much better I would feel psychologically after surgery as I would have had that to look forward to. As it is, it was a happy surprise.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions!

[BT04]

I'm not on T, but I managed to get my hysto done at 26 under the pretense of endometriosis, so I can't answer all of your questions, but I can answer some of them.

- Did you have a simple hysterectomy, total, just an oophorectomy, or a complete hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy?
I had a total hysto (uterus, cervix, tubes), no oopho. I do not plan to ever have an oopho for personal reasons.

- What made you decide to have the procedure that you had?
Part of it was because I did actually have very advanced endometriosis and had already endured an ablation surgery a couple years prior. I'd endured a really acute bout of dysphoria from a pregnancy scare at some point before that and KNEW for a fact that having a uterus, being able to theoretically get pregnant, and having to take birth control made me feel gross. When I realized that I was willing to trade my fertility (in retrospect I was probably infertile anyways) for the well-being of knowing that I couldn't ever get pregnant, I knew I had to get it done.

- What did you expect, and what did you not expect to happen as a result of the surgery?
I was excited as hell lol. I'd been through 3 more minor outpatient surgical procedures before, so I was no stranger to general anesthesia, doctors, labwork, and post-op care. A complete hysto is pretty major, so I did my research. I was expecting to be stuck in bed for a few days, and was expecting to be bored and frustrated lol. I was not expecting to stay a night in the outpatient ward, was not expecting morphine to not do anything for me (I knew I had a high tolerance to pain killers, but I seem to be highly resistant to opioids in particular). I was also not expecting hospital food to be pretty decent!

- How has your quality of life changed as a result of the surgery?  (esp. with respect to physical health and function)
1000% better. No more pregnancy scares, no more birth control (which, to me, felt like part chemical castration part wrong HRT), and no more endometriosis. I healed quickly, and while there are a few quirks to the way the vaginal canal functions post-op, the quickly become the new normal and may or may not even be a concern depending on whether you even like penetration.

- How long did it take for you to fully recover from surgery?
I was able to walk a little the day after surgery, but I wasn't able to really get around until... 4-5 days later maybe? I think I ran an errand on the 5th day, was out for maybe an hour, and was exhausted afterward. Sex didn't happen until long after the recommended 6 weeks, and I never went to my follow-up appointment because I lost my insurance 3 weeks after my surgery either. So I can't actually tell you exactly how well everything looks on the inside.

- If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently, if anything, or what would you wish you had known before going in?
I would go to my follow-up lol. In fact, I haven't seen an OBGYN since then, and that was almost 4 years ago now - I do plan on getting a general check-up in the next year when I'm covered under the universal health care after settling in Canada later this year.

-

While I'm not on T yet, I have noticed subtle changes in my body's hormonal profile pre- and post-surgery. I have PCOS so pre-surgery and pre-birth control, my hormones fluctuated wildly and I experienced a lot of very uncomfortable mood swings. On birth control, I felt kind of zombie-like. But post-surgery and post-birth control, I feel like I have slightly higher T levels than before, and they're MUCH more even-keel now. I feel better all around, more stable, more clear-headed.

[Jessica]

Hi Winter8!  Welcome to Susan's Place!  I'm Jessica.
I of course, have no experience or information to give you as I am mtf.  But it appears you have had several helpful responses.

I see your new here, so I'll post some links that may help you get better acquainted with the site. Pay attention to the site rules they can be of great help and don't forget the link highlighted red.  It has answers to questions that are commonly asked.  Then join in on a topic you find interesting and learn and share.

Please feel free to stop by the Introductions Forum to tell the members about yourself!

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[Flysander]

- Did you have a simple hysterectomy, total, just an oophorectomy, or a complete hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy?

I had a complete hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy.

- What made you decide to have the procedure that you had?

I had this procedure to change my I.D. and all my documents, to stop definitively periods and progestogen pill, and to get rid of my female reproductive organs.

- What did you expect, and what did you not expect to happen as a result of the surgery?

I expected not having any pains. I did not expect feeling good and different after the surgery.

- How has your quality of life changed as a result of the surgery?  (esp. with respect to physical health and function)

It was far better, I didn't took any pill anymore and I was not anxious of being bloody anymore.

- How long did it take for you to fully recover from surgery?

I fully recovered 1 month after the surgery. In convalescence, I was very tired, but after that I was fine again.

- Did your testosterone dosage change after surgery?  If so, in what way? (no need to list exact dosage, you could just say that it increased slightly or decreased by x%)

My testosterone dosage stayed at the same level.

- Have your free T values changed since having surgery (with or without dosage adjustment)?

I didn't notice my testosterone values, because I just did 2 or 3 blood tests a year.

- If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently, if anything, or what would you wish you had known before going in?

If I had a choice, I would perhaps have tried to get my oocyte vitrified to be able to get children by finding a surrogate mother.