The impact of hysterectomy as uterine fibroid therapy on personality traits and psychological symptoms of patients

Uterine fibroid is the most common form of benign disease of the female genital tract. The fibroids can cause infertility and are characterized by varied symptoms. In a surgical hysterectomy, the doctor treating a fibroid provides for the total ablation of the uterus, which is destructive both on the psyche and the body. The purpose of this work is to understand the way in which a hysterectomy can significantly affect the physical and mental condition of a woman. Method: he research made use of two important instruments for measuring personality traits and for detecting psychological and psychopathological symptoms: the MCMI-III (Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory) and the SCL-90-R (Symptom Checklist - 90 - R). The research sample consists of 200 female subjects who have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, of which 100 are women who underwent myomectomy and 100 are women who underwent hysterectomy for the same disease. Results: The research has shown that with regard to women between the ages of 46 and 55 years old, there is no significant difference on the scales of the two tests between those who have preserved the uterus by removing the fibroid and those who underwent hysterectomy. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed, instead, significant differences with regard to women aged between 35 and 45 years old. Conclusions: The findings support the argument that there isn't a real syndrome "post hysterectomy". Although the uterine ablation is configured as a psychophysical impact intervention, depressive symptomatology, multiple somatic complaints or discomfort from a sexual point of view evidenced by women immediately after operation would be attributable to morbid pre-existing conditions. Nevertheless, younger adult women, sexually more active and still fertile after hysterectomy, grumble about psychophysical disorders significantly more than the other reference group