The Hysterectomy Hoax: A Leading Surgeon Explains Why 90% of All Hysterectomies Are Unnecessary and Describes All the Treatment Options Available to [Paperback]

Stanley West (Author), Paula Dranov (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1994

Explaining how insurance companies encourage the high hysterectomy rate, a surgeon insists that ninety percent of all hysterectomies done in the United States each year are totally unnecessary and encourages women to take control of their own health care. Reprint. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From the first page of this remarkably readable work, West, an infertility specialist and chief of reproductive endocrinology at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City, takes a stand against hysterectomies--the removal of the uterus. Working in collaboration with writer Dranov, he offers a powerful critique of the standard medical practice of performing hysterectomies as a panacea for a wide range of conditions, from uterine fibroids and PMS to endometriosis. West believes that in virtually all cases, except when a woman has cancer, the medical procedure is unnecessary. Indeed, according to the author, more than 90% of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed in the U.S. each year are unneeded. In addition to explaining how almost all such disorders can be corrected without the removal of the woman's uterus and/or ovaries, West describes how a woman's reproductive system normally functions. The author includes a lively discussion of how the traditional medical establishment and insurance companies exacerbate the situation by encouraging women to undergo unnecessary hysterectomies. The chapters covering problems for which hysterectomies are often recommended treatment, such as ovarian cysts, end with questions for women to ask their doctors about less invasive therapies. West attributes the over-use of the procedure to four factors: medical complacency; unawareness of the potential aftermath of hysterectomy; medical sexism; and a lack of communication between doctor and patient. He believes that "a well-informed woman who understands her own body and how it works has an enormous advantage." And his book has the information women need.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Although 600,000 American women have hysterectomies every year, only 10 percent actually need the surgery. West, an infertility specialist, makes a strong case against hysterectomy unless a woman has cancer. Providing clear, illustrated explanations of female anatomy and physiology, he also throughly discusses fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, ovarian cysts, and precancerous conditions. West offers effective treatments that enable women to preserve their ovaries and uterus--organs that are important for sexuality and hormone production even after menopause. He criticizes the medical establishment and insurance companies for choosing hysterectomy because it is an easier procedure and puts an end to further claims for gynecological problems. Although similar in scope to Ivan K. Strausz, M.D.'s You Don't Need a Hysterectomy ( LJ 3/1/93), this book is more militant in its opposition to this surgery. West includes lists of questions for women to ask their physicians, a glossary, and a short list of organizations for referral. An excellent addition to consumer health collections.
- Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday (October 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385468202
• ISBN-13: 978-0385468206
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,421,330 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must-read for anyone facing hysterectomy, August 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hysterectomy Hoax, The (Hardcover)

This book is designed to help a woman ask the right questions, the most important of which is "What are my alternatives to hysterectomy?" No doubt having a female ghost writer, recognized on the front cover as one would expect from a sensitive person such as West appears to be, helped make this a clear and interesting read for the women to whom it is targeted. Everything one would want to know is included--that is, everything that is available to know. West is not vague in discussing areas of ignorance for the medical community. From the workings of the female organs to the myriad of ills that may befall them to the treatments that are available, everything is presented. At the end of each chapter discussing specific dis-eases of the female organs, West has included a list of specific questions to ask a prospective surgeon. To aid the woman who fears questioning the big daddy in a white coat, West reviews research on doctor-patient communication and gives soun! d advice on communicating effectively and fairly and expecting the same fair treatment from the physician. Among the many books on the market today, I would place this first for the woman weighing her options when hysterectomy has been advised or considered.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent women's resource. Could save lives!, March 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hysterectomy Hoax, The (Hardcover)

This book details women's reproductive system and offers easy to understand reproductive surgery. It is excellent as is Dr. VG Hufnagel's NO MORE HYSTERECTOMIES published in l989, five years prior to this one. BOTH should be on every woman's bookshelf. Both expose the unjustified medical practices women are constantly being subjected to. Intelligent, questioning women everywhere need these tools in order to demand the care they require if they are to remain healthy. If 51% of the world's population is female, someone better catch on or there're going to be massive legal problems ahead for the medical and insurance world.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS A MUST READ!, July 7, 2004

By 

Jill (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hysterectomy Hoax (Paperback)

THIS BOOK SAVED MY LIFE! At 50 years oldI was told I needed a complete hysterectomy. Someone suggested I read The Hysterecomy Hoax. I did and it changed my life. Instead of a hysterecomy, I went to Dr. West for a myomectomy. That was two weeks ago, when he removed 18 pounds of fibroids!! Today I feel fantastic. Everything he promised in his book was true. I had the surgery in New York on a Tuesday and was flying home to California on Thursday. I needed no pain medication, and no blood transfusions. The large size of my fibroids did not present any problems. Dr. West gave me my life back! IF YOU HAVE FIBROIDS, PLEASE READY THIS BOOK!!!!