Women in northern BC face among the highest rates of hysterectomy in Canada and a new study involving the University of Northern British Columbia is promising to help northern patients physically and mentally recover. The Collaborative Women’s Health Project will also help researchers understand the emotional and physiological effects of the procedure, which involves the removal of some or all of the female reproductive organs.

The study will make use of a new technology called Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging (RUSI) to scan participating patients’ core abdominal and pelvic floor muscles to evaluate muscle function in real time. This technology is also used in physiotherapy practice to rehabilitate and strengthen muscles by providing visual feedback  of the muscles in action.  The Project is recruiting northern women between the ages of 35 to 55 who are scheduled, or on the surgical waiting list, for hysterectomy.

“I have lived and worked in northern BC for more than 20 years. Our community has four times the rate of hysterectomies of some urban communities in the BC Lower Mainland, and we have challenges regarding access to healthcare,” says Project Coordinator Lois Lochhead, a Prince George physiotherapist and PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Medicine, Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of British Columbia. “Most of these studies take place in large metropolitan areas and it is time for rural and northern communities to be heard."

One of the purposes of the study is to evaluate any change in muscle function during the four month period before and after surgery.  On the final session, each participant will be given in-depth feedback about her core muscles along with an exercise prescription that will aid in improving function. Underutilized or injured core muscles due to hysterectomy can lead to chronic back pain or incontinence in some patients.

The study will also explore the relationship between physiological changes in muscle function and women’s perceptions of alteration and healing. One-on-one interviews with a researcher will seek to understand the hysterectomy experience, including the return to normal daily activity and work. “I’ve met women who say, ‘I have no use for these organs anymore so let’s be rid of them,’” says project coordinator and UNBC Nursing Professor Lela Zimmer. “For others, it can be very upsetting and disruptive for them and for many of the relationships in their life.”

Participants will be asked to attend four sessions. The first session will take place shortly before their surgery and the rest at four week intervals afterwards. Participants are reimbursed $15 per session for travel.

To inquire about participation or for further information about the study, please contact Lois Lochhead at 250-565-5109. This project is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and by a UNBC Research Seed Grant.