Ovary removal linked to less depression after hysterectomy

Removal of both ovaries in premenopausal women undergoing hysterectomy is associated with less depression or no change in depression depending on whether they were depressed before surgery, according to a report in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Jacqueline Rohl, MD, from Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, and colleagues analyzed data on depression from 1,047 premenopausal women who were undergoing hysterectomy with or without concomitant oophorectomy for benign conditions. Data were collected before surgery and after 12 months.

The researchers found that compared with women undergoing unilateral or no oophorectomy, women undergoing bilateral oophorectomy had a lower risk of depression if they did not have depressive symptoms at baseline (risk ratio 0.36), but had no significant change in risk if they did have depressive symptoms at baseline (RR, 1.21).

“The effect of bilateral oophorectomy leading to comparatively fewer women categorized as having depressive symptoms than those without bilateral oophorectomy may reflect the relief of symptoms for which a surgical intervention was recommended,” Rohl and colleagues write.

Rohl

J,

Kjerulff

K,

Langenberg

P, et al. Bilateral oophorectomy and depressive symptoms 12 months after hysterectomy.

Am J Obstet Gynecol

. 2008;199:22.e1-22.e5