Concurrent hysterectomy at bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: benefits, risks, and costs

To evaluate the medical and economic consequences of concurrent hysterectomy at the time of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) for benign ovarian disease in peri- and postmenopausal women.

Decision analysis was used to compare the health outcomes and economic costs of performing BSO with concurrent hysterectomy versus BSO alone in theoretic cohorts of 10,000 women undergoing surgery for benign adnexal disease. A model was constructed incorporating probabilities of possible outcomes from the National Hospital Discharge Database, the National Cancer Institute SEER Program, and the literature. Data on associated costs were obtained from the California State Discharge Database, Medicare, and the literature.

Performing concurrent hysterectomy in a cohort of 10,000 45-year-old women would prevent approximately 71 future deaths from gynecologic disease at a cost of five immediate deaths from the surgery. However, short-term complications are much more frequent in women undergoing hysterectomy. On average, hysterectomy at age 45 adds approximately 0.071 years of life expectancy; at age 55, it adds 0.026 years. The procedure results in cost savings of approximately $1913 per patient at age 45 and $1112 at age 55.

Concurrent hysterectomy causes short-term morbidity, but appears to increase average life expectancy slightly among perimenopausal women and is cost-saving. Medical outcomes and economic consequences only marginally favor the procedure. Patient preferences for the potential outcomes should play a key role in determining the appropriateness of its use.