Surgical Menopause

Some women enter menopause as a result of hysterectomy surgery. This is called surgical menopause. Because your ovaries are your body's main source of estrogen, the removal of both your uterus and ovaries will cause menopause to occur immediately. The symptoms associated with surgical menopause are the same as those from natural menopause, but can be more intense due to the sharp, immediate decline in estrogen levels.

Symptoms associated with surgical menopause include:

• Hot flashes: A sudden wave of heat. Up to 90% of American women who undergo surgical menopause experience hot flashes
• Night sweats: Hot flashes that occur at night and are accompanied by heavy sweating
• Vaginal dryness and atrophy: Itching, burning, dryness, and thinning of the vaginal walls, and shortening of the vagina
• Increased risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis: Thin, weak bones due to loss of estrogen

Managing Symptoms

Before your surgery, your doctor may write you a prescription for some form of estrogen therapy to help control the symptoms associated with surgical menopause. There are many types of estrogen therapy, but the most commonly used ones are pills and transdermal patches. Estrogen therapy can be started almost immediately after surgery. Many doctors will order an estrogen patch for the patient to start in the recovery room.

Ask your doctor about estrogen therapy with Vivelle-Dot^®—the #1 prescribed brand-name bioidentical estrogen therapy.*^† It helps control moderate to severe hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness and atrophy associated with menopause. It also helps reduce the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Download a voucher to receive one free month supply of Vivelle-Dot.

*Based on IMS Health^®, National Prescription Audit Plus™, December 2009.
^†This means that the estrogen in Vivelle-Dot (estradiol) is identical to the hormone produced naturally by your body. This does not mean that it is safer or more effective.