Red State Moron points to an article in Medical News Today that talks about Consumer Reports’ List of Needless Surgeries. But are they really needless?
The CR article begins with “bloodletting. Lobotomy. Tonsillectomy.” and says they’re useless. Maybe the first two. But the third might have kept me from having sleep apnea. Read the CR for the whole article. I’m going to talk about number three, c-section, and number five, hysterectomy.
#3 Caesarean Section
You may not need a caesarean section. They may be used more often than they should be. But when the baby’s placenta previa or placenta abruptia, then you THANK GOD for c-sections. I’ve had two. They’re not always needless. My mom didn’t have any, even though she had babies with both placenta previa and placenta abruptia. Thankfully she and the babies (me included) survived anyway. My maternal grandmother did have one, when my uncle had been in the womb for ten months. That was 58 years ago. He came out with a full set of teeth, long fingernails, a full head of curly red hair, and his life. So did my grandmother.
Yes, there may be unnecessary c-sections. But they aren’t all unnecessary.
#5 Hysterectomy
The article says most people who have hysterectomies do it because of pelvic pain and/or excessive or irregular bleeding. Then they mention that taking out the cervix (not common) leads to less enjoyable sex and taking out the ovaries (an option) leads to premature menopause. They recommend instead removing of fibroids, use of birth control pills, and endometrial ablation.
Okay, I’ve been using birth control pills for over 28 years. And they don’t work. I still have my period. If I have sex that is a little energetic, my period starts. Last time I was on birth control pills I bled for 96 days in a row and the nurse said “there’s nothing else we can do.” So I went to a hormone doctor, took hormones out the wazoo, and had an average of ten days off a period and ten days on the period, with heavy bleeding, which is what I get when I’m not on anything.
I asked about endometrial ablation. It’s a temporary fix. The lining grows back.
Folks, I’m 43. I have two teen age sons. I’ve been bleeding too much for 34 years. Don’t you think my body deserves a rest? I think so. My mom says it’s the best thing she ever did. A friend in her 60s says she gets up every morning and thanks God for Jesus, for her family, and for her hysterectomy. They deserved a rest too.
So you can say all you want that hysterectomies are overused. But who decides what overuse is? I’ve spent several years trying to avoid a hysterectomy. But if I want to have a “normal” life, then I can’t. I’m tired of bleeding 26 weeks out of 52. I’m tired of bleeding whenever I have sex. I’m tired of bleeding. I have had several doctors, including the one who is going to do the hysterectomy, tell me that I don’t need one. But they aren’t the ones bleeding. Who decides when a hysterectomy is necessary? I do. It’s necessary.
Okay, so I think that two of those “overly done” surgeries may not be overly done.
If you go through the list, I’m wondering about the last two as well. My FIL had #11 done and it cured his reflux. And I had #12 done and I still don’t have enough room in my mouth for all my teeth.
I am wondering how many of these are really unnecessary.