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Hysterectomy is second only to cesarean section as the most frequently performed major operation in the United States1. Data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) indicate that approximately 590, 000 hysterectomies are performed annually1. Although there appears to be a downward trend in the rate since the mid-1980s, it is not yet known whether a true decline has occurred, because there have been recent changes in the NHDS sampling method1, 2. By the age of 60, over one third of U. S. women have undergone hysterectomy2. The annual hospital costs for the operation currently exceed 5 billion. . . .
Desforges et al. (Thu,) studied this question.