Prophylactic bilateral oophorectomy or removal of remaining ovary at the time of hysterectomy in the United States, 1979-2004.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe national rates and trends of prophylactic bilateral oophorectomy or remaining oophorectomy (BO/RO) at hysterectomy in women without specific gynecologic disease.

STUDY DESIGN: Data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey were analyzed for 1979-2004. Hysterectomies were divided into 2 groups: (1) hysterectomy with BO/RO and (2) hysterectomy alone (> or =1 ovary remaining). Age-adjusted rates (AARs) were calculated with 2000 US census data.

RESULTS: Approximately 3,686,000 hysterectomies with BO/RO were performed from 1979-2004. AARs of hysterectomy with BO/RO decreased during this period; the AARs in women > or =50 years old increased. The number of hysterectomies alone was 5,461,100, and AARs of hysterectomy alone decreased significantly from 2.9 per 1000 women in from 1979-1981 to 1.1 per 1000 women in 2001 (P < .001). The proportion of women who underwent hysterectomy with BO/RO increased from 29% in 1979 to 45% in 2004.

CONCLUSION: Although AARs of prophylactic BO/RO decreased from 1979-2004, the actual proportion of BO/RO at hysterectomy increased.