Hysterectomy Rate Increasing According To CDC

Because the CDC declined to report the number of outpatient hysterectomies in their recent Ambulatory Surgery Data it appears the hysterectomy rate is decreasing. When the outpatient number is added to the inpatient hysterectomies the total reveals an increase in the number of hysterectomies. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) December 08, 2011 - Philadelphia, PA - According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "60,435 outpatient hysterectomies were unreported" in 2006. The combined inpatient and outpatient hysterectomies totaled of 629,000 in 2006, the most recent year ambulatory surgery data was collected. The CDC has declined to report thousands of hysterectomies in their official figures because they are not of "special interest," according to official CDC documents.

The estimated 60,435 outpatient (ambulatory) hysterectomies was published on the CDC's website and subsequently removed. In response to the HERS Foundation's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request the CDC stated, "The outpatient hysterectomy statistics were initially included with other ambulatory surgery statistics on the CDC website and excluded from the current statistics on the website and in the printed report". The HERS Foundation was able to gain access to these statistics only after repeated requests invoking FOIA.

This reveals a rising trend in the total number hysterectomies performed each year. Despite recent news and medical journal articles suggesting hysterectomies are declining overall, the increasing promotion of robotic surgery and popularity of outpatient hysterectomies has resulted in a notable increase. Outpatient surgeries are more lucrative for ambulatory surgery centers and hospitals.

According to the conservative American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 70% of hysterectomies performed on women are unnecessary. The cost of hysterectomy to insurance companies and the government is $17B a year.

Many women experience lifelong health issues after hysterectomy. Medical journals document an increase in cardiovascular disease, urinary and bowel problems, loss of uterine orgasm, chronic pain, fatigue, depression, osteoporosis, dementia and Parkinson's Disease. The majority of symptoms for which hysterectomies are performed can be managed conservatively. More information is available from the HERS Foundation.

Hysterectomy is widely recognized to be one of the most overutilized surgeries performed in the U.S.

Press Contacts:
Nora W. Coffey
HERS Foundation
norawcoffey ( @ ) hersfoundation dot org
(610) 667-7757 (o)
(610)662-9114 (c)

http://www.hersfoundation.org

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