title: The general health in women suffering from gynaecological disorders is improved by means of hysterectomy.
abstract: Gynaecological disorders can have adverse effects on women's general health, and for a substantial number of these women hysterectomy is performed. This study aims to evaluate the long-term impact of hysterectomy on this outcome variable. The patient-group was tested pre-operatively and 6 and 12 months after hysterectomy. The control-group was tested once. This study shows that the general health in women suffering from gynaecological disorders is significantly lower compared with that of the control-group (p < 0.00). Both 6 and 12 months after the hysterectomy, however, the patient-group has reached the same level of their general health as the control-group. Twenty-eight per cent of their potentiality for improved health has been obtained. For those women with poorest health both pre- and postoperatively, other factors than the hysterectomy have had a negative impact on their general health and lives. The results from this study suggest that hysterectomy is associated with a positive long-term impact on women's general health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, Division for Nursing Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. toril.rannestad@ahs.hist.no
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rannestad
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Eikeland
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helland
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Qvarnström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000601:surgery*; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D009664:Norway; D016896:Treatment Outcome