Why would an 82-year-old mentally unstable woman be having a full hysterectomy?

Are you talking to the doctors directly or is the info coming through your mother? I'm asking because if it's coming through your mother she may not be remembering it correctly or she may be hiding her true diagnosis. Did she have a biopsy? Have you asked them why they are having trouble knowing what her diagnosis actually is?

Are you your mother's PoA? Or legal guardian? At 82, that is a very major surgery for sure. Even the after effects of the anesthesia, and UTIs from being catheterized will add to her recover burden. Do you think she will willingly comply with her post-surgery self-care? If not, then maybe consider other options, like hospice. More information would be very helpful so that the many seasoned RNs on this site can provide you with the best guidance.

Have they done a biopsy on whatever is looking suspicious in her uterus? Shouldn't that be done first before any type of surgery is done or even talked about? I would most definitely get a second and even third opinion, as someone at the age of 82 undergoing surgery, and with the mental issues she already has can be quite devastating, as the anesthesia itself can cause lasting dementia type symptoms.
You have to do what you feel is best for her. I wish you the very best in figuring out exactly what that is.

I personally would not choose to treat this, cancer or no.

A hysterectomy in an 80+ woman is MAJOR surgery and no fun to recover from.

There is no excuse for a drs not finding a positive cancer DX. Sheesh, a simply PET scan and she'd glow light a Christmas tree! Non invasive and simple.

I'd be really, really hesitant to go with a dr who cannot give a clear dx but is willing to perform this surgery on her.

And, does she WANT 8-10 more years? When/if my cancer comes back, I am not treating. And I'm only 65!

Who is the medical POA and the POA. Given what anesthesia alone can do to an elder, if this can be prevented it should be imho.
What symptoms are your mother having? Does she have a prolapse? Often a vaginal hysterectomy can be done quickly. I would get thorough information about exactly' A) what condition are they dealing with B) what are the repercussions of not having surgery?

Taking any medical advice about a total hysterectomy from a man is wildly foolish, in my opinion. Whether the man is a doctor or a surgeon or just a man giving his 2 cents on the subject. A man always underplays the importance of 'lady parts' to begin with. I know b/c a man OB GYN delivered my first child, a son, and turned it into THE most horrifying experience of my entire life. And all for nothing. All b/c he wouldn't take the time to put a pillow under my butt when breaking my water. And b/c he did not have the patience or presence of mind to comprehend what a woman was going through emotionally, physically and mentally while giving birth for the first time. He just didn't care. When I had my second child, I chose a woman OB GYN and the experience was 100% different in every way imaginable; a pleasant experience instead of a nightmare.

Your doctors are not giving you ANY answers that you NEED except to say it's 'major surgery' and that this is how it 'must be done.' With no reasons to back up those claims.

I call FOUL.

Either get the correct answers to your questions or find another doctor, and insist it be a woman who's doing the surgery ON your loved one who's a woman herself & needs a hysterectomy, maybe. And insist on knowing where the cancer is, how progressed it is, and if there are any other alternative treatments OTHER than surgery available. And then think long & hard before putting the woman through such a surgery, when she's 'mentally unstable' to begin with. Will extending her life (IF such a thing happens) be worth it? Does she want her life extended? Being mentally unstable, will she be able to endure the recovery process which WILL NOT BE A CAKE WALK, regardless of what man tells you it will be?

Also keep in mind that if cancer is present, there are absolutely NO GUARANTEES of anything, never mind 8-10 years of an extended lifespan! When my birthmother had surgery for uterine cancer, it wound up spreading to her ovaries and KILLING her in short order, rather than 'extending her life'. She would have been better off leaving the uterine cancer ALONE than listening to her doctors telling her how easy-peasy it was to 'just operate' on the uterus and 'remove it all' that way. Yeah, huh? Pure B.S. that turned out to be. All bets are OFF where cancer is concerned, IF cancer is at play here with your loved one.

Please demand ALL the facts before you can make any rational decision.

Best of luck to you.

This is the medical reasoning:
1-The uterus and ovaries are the sites of many types of deadly gynecologic cancer.
2-The uterus and ovaries in an 82 year old woman are useless organs.
3- If there is a suspicion of cancer, it's better to get the uterus and ovaries out without waiting for cancer confirmation, because by that time, it could be too late.
4-In regard to the surgical risk, removal of female reproductive organs can be performed nowadays by laparoscopy surgery, which is a minimally invasive procedure. Very safe, less traumatic and with a short recovery time.
5-In regard to the anesthesia, it could be performed with spinal anesthesia, which avoids general anesthesia.
Not having surgery would allow a potentially treatable cancer, to kill the patient within a short time.
6- A successful surgery would guarantee at least 8-10 additional years in her life span.

Answering only for myself: if I'm ever 82 years old and mentally unstable, I pray to God that no one will let a doctor perform a surgery that could prolong my life by a decade.

This must be a difficult place for your family to be in. Best wishes as you decide what to do. But do keep in mind that doctors have a financial incentive to push such treatments, and it's not always in the patient's best interest.

Personally, I would not go through with the surgery. No benefit in living 10 more years mentally unstable and losing it fast. The only ones benefiting from the surgery are the hospital and the doctors.

If you mean "unstable mentally" that she has a Dementia, I would not put her thru the surgery. Putting her under will only make her worse. They would have to give me a definite diagnosis before I would allow surgery. What problems is she having that they feel there maybe cancer involved.

My mom had a hysterectomy at about 82. She had tested positive for cancer. The surgery nearly killed her as she developed an infection and was hospitalized a couple of days later. She remained in the hospital for two weeks until she was finally strong enough to go home.

It was after the surgery that everyone noticed she had some cognitive problems. Chemobrain is a real thing and is often caused by chemo. General anesthesia is another major risk factor for developing dementa. Two strikes! The confusion was probably there before but we were not as attentive as we were after the surgery.

Did the surgery give her a few more years? Who knows and for what? Eight more years of progressing into the depths of Alzheimer's. Cancer when we are older often progresses very slowly. Would that have been the case? Again, who knows. Knowing the dementia would have become so terribly profound it would have been a better idea to leave the cancer untreated. But, it was mom's decision, she was still considered competent.

And a hysterectomy is considered major surgery. I had one in my 40's and it was tough. Sponges were lost, the vaginal procedure became an incision so the doc could go sponge hunting. Anything could happen....