Survey study, 1992
Does removing the uterus reduce PMS symptoms?
Yes. Removing the uterus resulted in a 66% reduction in premenstrual symptoms. However, one woman still had mood symptoms after surgery, suggesting the uterus is not the only factor involved.
What they did
Twelve women kept detailed daily symptom records before and after hysterectomy. Researchers analyzed symptom patterns mathematically to see how the surgery affected them.
What they found
Hysterectomy was associated with 66% reduction in mean premenstrual tension severity for both mood and physical symptoms (p less than 0.005). The improvement was unrelated to post-operative changes in health or ovarian function. Seven women had mood-related PMS before surgery. One continued to have mood-related PMS after hysterectomy. The other six women no longer showed a regular pattern of mood-related PMS after surgery.
What it means for you
The uterus plays a role in PMS but is not essential for it to occur. Removing it helped most women, but the improvement was not simply because hormonal cycling stopped. The uterus itself, or psychological factors connected to having periods, may be important. This is a small study.
12
women studied
66%
reduction in premenstrual tension severity
6
women who lost PMS pattern after surgery
About the study
- Original title
- The premenstrual syndrome: amelioration of symptoms after hysterectomy
- Authors
- Metcalf MG, Braiden V, Livesey JH et al.
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic research
- Year
- 1992
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- Hysterectomy (surgical removal of uterus)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(92)90042-z
Topics
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