In over 30 years as a surgeon, I have seen this plenty of times, almost always without significance. The reason this is so common is that menstrual cycles are, of course, hormonal in nature, and surgery/anesthesia causes each person's body to respond with adrenocortical hormones to help the body more readily respond to the physical stress. That's why they are often called "stress hormones" and also why each patient's response is unique and individualized--each of us is "stressed" differently by anesthesia/surgery. Even the thought of surgery can cause enough stress in some individuals to stimulate a more strong response. Some individuals who are not stressed mentally or psychologically at all (they are excited and happy about surgery) may still have an unusually strong adrenocortical hormone response. Hard to predict, and not a indicator of "wimpiness!"All these hormonal responses are tied intimately together with those associated with menstrual flow, so this is actually more common than you might think. Many patients may not tell their surgeon, and some surgeons may not want to know, but this is why not every surgeon may be aware of this.All that being said, if your periods do not promptly return to normal, please schedule a visit with your gynecologist to make sure all is well. Reassurance online is entirely different than asking a specialist who can examine you in person. But don't worry about this--it might throw off your periods! Best wishes! Dr. Tholen
