The hysterectomy story in the United Kingdom

Gynaecologists in India should be deeply concerned by the message broadcast on the BBC by Jill McGivering (6(th) February 2013) in which she suggested that hysterectomy is abused in India, with the overwhelming number of women being subjected to the operation unnecessarily. Their counterparts in the UK should be no more complacent because although the hysterectomy rates have fallen over the years, yet there is widely and wildly varying rates between regions, hospitals and individual gynaecologists. Until research can be undertaken to establish what the true rates of hysterectomy should be, clear simple guidelines could go a long way to ensuring that women are not subjected to an operation they do not need, while those who would benefit are not denied an intervention that can improve their quality of life.