ABSTRACT
In 1990, approximately 590 000 hysterectomies were performed in the USA, making this operation the second most common surgical procedure performed in women of reproductive age [1].This resulted in an expense of US$5 billion, representing almost 1% of the US$585.3 billion spent on public health in 1990 [2]. According to a survey by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion during 1980-83, 8.6 million women aged 15 or over had had a hysterectomy. From 1980 to 1987, the rate of hysterectomy declined from 7.1 to 6.6 per 1000 women. However, from 1988 to 1993, there appears to have been a levelling in incidence to 5.5 per 1000 women.This study further indicated that women aged 40-44 years were most likely to have the procedure. The overall rate of hysterectomy did not differ by race in this study. However, leiomyomas accounted for 62% of hysterectomies in black women compared with 29% for white women and 45% for women of other races [1].
