Understanding Surgical Menopause

For many women, menopause is a naturally occurring life stage – but for others, surgery means menopause can occur overnight. Surgical menopause takes place when a woman’s ovaries are removed surgically, which can often happen alongside a hysterectomy. Since our ovaries are responsible for the key hormones that run our menstrual cycles and reproductive systems, their removal marks the end of fertility and an immediate trigger of menopause.

Unfortunately, surgical menopause is often highly misunderstood, with a lack of education or access to resources that can make a world of difference in individual health journeys. At the Australian Menopause Centre, we’re passionate about ensuring Australian women (and women around the globe!) have access to the highest quality of menopausal healthcare and the education necessary for this complex season. We’re digging into the world of surgical menopause to make sure you’ve got the information you need if a surgery that impacts your ovaries is on the horizon.

When can surgical menopause occur?

A wide range of health conditions can lead to a surgical menopause outcome, as well as precautionary steps for women who may be at risk of developing a serious condition if their ovaries aren’t removed. 

One of the most common reasons for surgical menopause is the impact of endometriosis. This is a highly painful condition that can affect women across the course of their fertile years, with tissues that are similar to the uterus’ lining growing outside of it. With endometriosis leading to significant health complications and challenges in daily management, its severity can mean that removal of the ovaries is the best way to reduce pain and related symptoms.

Ovarian cancer is another reason why surgery to remove ovaries may be necessary, as this can help to prevent its spread. For women with a high risk of ovarian cancer as a result of their family history, preventative surgery can also be common, leading to surgical menopause.

Endometriosis isn’t the only uterus-related growth condition that can require surgery, with uterine fibroids also resulting in pain, intense bleeding, and a host of unwelcome symptoms. These non-cancerous growths can often be removed along with the ovaries, reducing their impact or potentially resolving related pain altogether.

 

Find support for every aspect of your healthcare amongst the challenges of surgical menopause. Contact the Australian Menopause Centre today.

 

What takes place during surgical menopause?

While natural perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause can play out over years, with different symptoms ebbing and flowing in intensity across its course, surgical menopause can be a more heightened experience of menopause after ovary removal surgery. Ths sudden removal can result in equally sudden symptoms, as the immediate change in natural hormone production causes ripple effects across many internal systems. 

On a hormonal level, the sudden loss of oestrogen and progesterone production means the body experiences a form of hormonal shock. During natural menopause, hormone levels gradually decrease over time – but during surgical menopause, the body is instead required to adapt almost immediately to the significant decrease of these crucial hormones. 

As a result, regulation can be challenging to achieve. Menopause’s symptoms – hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness, and a lowered sex drive (just to name a few!) have all arrived overnight, resulting in complications in their management without the aid of a longer passage of time.

For women experiencing surgical menopause, the intensity of these changes mean careful and comprehensive post-surgical care is required on multiple levels. Alongside managing physical needs, considering the emotional impact of surgical menopause is crucial to successfully transitioning from life ‘before’ to life ‘after’. 

How surgical menopause can affect long-term health outcomes

As with natural menopause, surgical menopause brings a host of long-term health considerations that require their own ongoing risk management. As oestrogen is such a vital contributor to so many of our internal systems, its lack of production has flow-on effects that need to be planned for in post-surgical care.

These include:

• The increased risk of osteoporosis. As oestrogen contributes to bone health and bone density, a lack of oestrogen means that women can be exposed to a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. This is a ‘silent’ disease that’s often only diagnosed once a fracture or break has occurred, with evidence of weakened bones emerging as a result. 
• An associated and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Since oestrogen is also a firm protector of our heart health and the health of our blood vessels, surgical menopause can bring with it an increased risk of the development of heart disease.
• Impacts on brain health. With links between early menopause (an umbrella which can include surgical menopause) and negative impacts on cognitive function, the risk of developing conditions such as Alzheimer’s can increase.

How to manage the impact of surgical menopause

While surgical menopause’s impact can be challenging to handle, there are a number of strategies that can provide great sources of support during this complex health experience.

Firstly, it’s important to understand what you’re likely to experience. Working closely with your healthcare team, both surgical and non-surgical, is a crucial foundation for your ongoing experience throughout surgical menopause. This is not an experience to ‘suffer in silence’ through – by sharing openly about your experiences, symptoms, concerns, and challenges, you can make sure you’re accessing the best quality of support at each point of your health journey.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can also be a powerful treatment for women who have experienced surgical menopause. As HRT can provide support via bioidentical hormones that offset the impact of reduced natural hormone production, this can be one way to support internal systems when your ovaries are no longer playing the role they have throughout life so far. 

It’s also important to prioritise self-compassion. Surgery can be a significant and painful experience, and the added impact of surgical menopause is not one to be taken lightly. By growing your awareness of what you may experience, you can find the support you need from your community as you navigate this new life stage.

Conclusion

Surgical menopause brings its own challenges, but you’re never alone as you make your way through them. Find crucial support for your health throughout surgical menopause and beyond with the expert, caring team at the Australian Menopause Centre.