Hysterectomy- moral?

[shocktrooper]

Here is the scenario.

Family has 4 children already and is delivering her 5th… They were all delivered by C-section. The doctor will not do additional C-sections and recommends having the uterus removed because of the overall damage. Vaginal births are no longer possible because of the damage to the stomach muscles. What is the moral/Catholic thing for the husband and wife to do?

For example…

-Should they practice NFP the rest of their life- hoping they do not get pregnant but accept it if they do, and knowing the life of the mother is at high risk.
-Should they become celibate?
-Should they have the hysterectomy?

I personally see myself in this situation in the next 5 to 10 years. If you have follow-up questions that will help you form your answers, I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Pax Christi.

 

[Bookcat]

There can be medical reasons (not contraceptive!) for a Hysterectomy…

Call the experts…

ncbcenter.org/NetCommunity//

(who CA recommends)

Phone at bottom of page…

 

[puzzleannie]

Here is the scenario.

Family has 4 children already and is delivering her 5th… They were all delivered by C-section. The doctor will not do additional C-sections and recommends having the uterus removed because of the overall damage…

if the hysterectomy is to treat disease or disorder of the uterus it is not immoral. It becomes immoral only if the only reason is to prevent pregnancy.

Same as surgery on ovaries, fallopian tubes etc.

Hard facts of life: yes there are times and cases when abstinence is the only avenue for a couple, either periodic (assisted by modern NFP with very reliable methods of ovulation prediction) or total until natural menopause.

I recommend if this pertains to someone close to you that you go to Judie Brown’s pro-life Catholic Q&A box on ewtn.com and reference FAQs on the topic where she has linked her best resource Dr. Anthony a pro-life ob-gyn.

 

[the_7th_one]

The morality of this depends on so many things, if this is a possable future for you and your spouse, I would recomend looking at ways to keep from getting there. My wife had a Hysterectomy years ago, due to damage from Cancer. It was moral. If it had been a matter of keeping from having kids, it would not be moral. If she had none of the Cancer far enough in advance and done nthing, well that would have been another matter.
Every Man and Woman is given a body as a gift from God to use in a moral healthy way. Sickness and other events, happen, and should be treated as best to make the person as well as possable. For a woman if that eventially comes down to a Hysterectomy, then nothing wrong is done.

 

[Trishie]

My mother declined the advised hysterectomy and died aged 43 leaving nine children ranging from 4 years age upward. The loss of our mother caused incalculable and lifelong damage.
The intention of a medically advised hysterectomy isn’t to prevent more children, but to save the mother’s life and health.

The U.S. bishops’ document Ethical And Religious Directives For Catholic Health Care Services (which is approved by the full body of bishops, not just a committee) states:

1. Direct sterilization of either men or women, whether permanent or temporary, is not permitted in a Catholic health care institution. Procedures that induce sterility are permitted when their direct effect is the cure or alleviation of a present and serious pathology and a simpler treatment is not available.

 

[joanofarc2008]

A hysterectomy is a medical procedure to be done to fix a medical problem and is very rarely ever used as contraception. This is not to be confused with tubal ligation which is only used for contraception and is always immoral.

 

[shocktrooper]

My mother declined the advised hysterectomy and died aged 43 leaving nine children ranging from 4 years age upward. The loss of our mother caused incalculable and lifelong damage.
The intention of a medically advised hysterectomy isn’t to prevent more children, but to save the mother’s life and health.

The U.S. bishops’ document Ethical And Religious Directives For Catholic Health Care Services (which is approved by the full body of bishops, not just a committee) states:

1. Direct sterilization of either men or women, whether permanent or temporary, is not permitted in a Catholic health care institution. Procedures that induce sterility are permitted when their direct effect is the cure or alleviation of a present and serious pathology and a simpler treatment is not available.

Ok… but… the procedure would be done to prevent a future harm to the mother IF she gets pregnant again. There is no medical reason to remove the uterus at that time, only IF a pregnancy should follow would the life of the mother come into danger. This seems different from cancer. This problem is that the birth of a new child can cause the wife to die. So in affect, the removal of the uterus is “birth control” because it is preventing a new life to be formed that will likely harm or kill the mother.

 

[shocktrooper]

The morality of this depends on so many things, if this is a possable future for you and your spouse, I would recomend looking at ways to keep from getting there.

Do you have any recommendations on keeping from getting to that point? I don’t see how that is possible. As a Catholic, I must be open to new life and not use NFP as permanent way to prevent children. Eventually the time will draw near.

 

[1ke]

As a Catholic, I must be open to new life and not use NFP as permanent way to prevent children.

You certainly **can **use NFP indefinitely for just reasons, which you have. I’m not sure where you got the idea you could not.

If the doctor believes the uterus should come out on its own accord, the hysterecomy is morally permissable.

 

[Jesus_123]

+I’ve occasionally worked for a super Catholic ob/gyn doctor . . . for whom my boss allowed me to immediately fill in as a member of the staff . . . *in emergency situations *. . . If this little mother knows of a . . . faithful . . . Catholic ob/gyn doctor . . . it might be very helpful to get an evaluation and counsel about the condition with such an individual . . . ***as a consultating doctor on this case *. **. . the medical condition sounds like a very serious one . . . be sure to ask the Dr. how really serious this health condition is . . . and if the radical treatment recommended by the primary doctor is truly necessary for the serious medical difficulty . . . and it’s only sound purpose is for the mother’s health and welfare . . . and whether if left untreated it might truly jeapordize the mother’s life . . . not to mention a possible pregnancy that might occur in the future . . . thus creating danger for a second life . . . a baby’s . . .

***Gracious Holy Mother . . . Our Lady of Lourdes . . . guide and protect this dear mother. ***

. . . all for Jesus+
*. . . thank You Sweet Mother of God+
. . . thank You Sweet Spirit of our Holy God+
. . . please impart wisdom for handling this according to God’s Holy Will+ *​

 

[puzzleannie]

Ok… but… the procedure would be done to prevent a future harm to the mother IF she gets pregnant again. Tr.

that is not the case as described in OP but we are not doctors. If the damage has already been done and hysterectomy is the only way to reverse the damage, it is not immoral. There are a lot of other options to hysterectomy now-days for many disorders, other than cancer.

 

[PJM]

=shocktrooper;7816171]Here is the scenario.

Family has 4 children already and is delivering her 5th… They were all delivered by C-section. The doctor will not do additional C-sections and recommends having the uterus removed because of the overall damage. Vaginal births are no longer possible because of the damage to the stomach muscles. What is the moral/Catholic thing for the husband and wife to do?

For example…

-Should they practice NFP the rest of their life- hoping they do not get pregnant but accept it if they do, and knowing the life of the mother is at high risk.
-Should they become celibate?
-Should they have the hysterectomy?

I personally see myself in this situation in the next 5 to 10 years. If you have follow-up questions that will help you form your answers, I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Pax Christi.

DEFINATELY discuss this with your priest. IF it health related and doctor recommened then there is a possibility for it to be OK. Check it out.

God Bless,
Pat

 

[shocktrooper]

You certainly **can **use NFP indefinitely for just reasons, which you have. I’m not sure where you got the idea you could not.

If the doctor believes the uterus should come out on its own accord, the hysterecomy is morally permissable.

1ke, I did not mean to say that I could not use it indefinitely. I meant to say that we could not use it for the purpose of never having children. Would that thought be wrong?

Thanks

 

[joanofarc2008]

1ke, I did not mean to say that I could not use it indefinitely. I meant to say that we could not use it for the purpose of never having children. Would that thought be wrong?

Thanks

No and I doubt in this day and age you will find a doctor that will perform this for that express purpose. Although several decades ago this was done as a form of eugenics and sterilization sadly.

 

[shocktrooper]

that is not the case as described in OP but we are not doctors. If the damage has already been done and hysterectomy is the only way to reverse the damage, it is not immoral. There are a lot of other options to hysterectomy now-days for many disorders, other than cancer.

This is all hypothetical. The OBGYN has never done more than 5 C-sections on a single woman because of the condition of the uterus. I am just trying to have know what options are available to Catholics that want to remain faithful to the Church.

Thanks

 

[1ke]

1ke, I did not mean to say that I could not use it indefinitely. I meant to say that we could not use it for the purpose of never having children. Would that thought be wrong?

Thanks

A woman who is contraindicated for another pregnancy could certainly use NFP for the remainder of her child bearing years and not have another child.

 

[kozlosap]

This is all hypothetical. The OBGYN has never done more than 5 C-sections on a single woman because of the condition of the uterus. I am just trying to have know what options are available to Catholics that want to remain faithful to the Church.

Thanks

Your main concern should be your children who will suffer horribly if they lose their mother. If your primary OB with a second opinion, feels that you should have a procedure that would save your life, then I’m sure the Church will concur. It’s not being used for BC, but as a preventative to eventual death. I hope you never have to make this decision! I will pray for you.

 

[cathoichelp]

I doubt they would want to do a hysterectomy-… they would more than likely want to do a tubal ligation-

 

[EvelynEVF]

This is such a tough situation. In my area, the VBAC rate is practically zero, so a mom has the added stress in pregnancy/labor of knowing that if she does not birth vaginally, she may never be allowed to try again, and it may seriously limit her family size and compromise her health.

Grr.

 

[PJM]

=shocktrooper;7816787]1ke, I did not mean to say that I could not use it indefinitely. I meant to say that we could not use it for the purpose of never having children. Would that thought be wrong?

Thanks

The Motive cannot be not having children as this would be GRAVELY sinful.

God Bless,