Oophorectomy is the surgical removal of the ovaries of a female animal. In the case of non-human animals, this is also called spaying. It is a form of sterilization.
The removal of the ovaries together with the Fallopian tubes is called salpingo-oophorectomy. Oophorectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy are not common forms of birth control in humans; more usual is tubal ligation, in which the Fallopian tubes are blocked but the ovaries remain intact.
In humans, oophorectomy is most usually performed together with a hysterectomy - the removal of the uterus. Its use in a hysterectomy when there are no other health problems is somewhat controversial.
In animals, spaying involves an invasive removal of the ovaries, but rarely has major complications; the superstition that it causes weight gain is not based on fact. Spaying is especially important for certain animals that require the ovum to be released at a certain interval (called estrus or "heat"), such as cats and dogs. If the cell is not released during these animal's heat, it can cause severe medical problems that can be averted by spaying or partnering the animal with a male.
Oophorectomy is sometimes referred to as castration, but that term is most often used to mean the removal of a male animal's testicles.
St Thomas, Church Southwark was built sometime in the Medieval period, date unknown. The parish was the grounds of St Thomas Hospital. It named for Thomas Becket but was renamed St Thomas the Apostle after the Reformation.
It was rebuilt by Thomas Cartwright in 1703. It had a Garret which was called the herb garret in 1821. In that year the Old Operating Theatre was built in the Herb Garret.
The Church was made redundant in the late 19th century and became the Chapter House of Southwark Cathedral. In the late 20th century it was used as office space by the Chapter Group - an insurance company. The Church was undermined by the Jubilee Line workings and repairs has still not be effected (2003) because a dispute between the Jubilee Line and the lease holders.