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.
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Samuel Cardinal Stritch greets a young parishioner.
Samuel Alphonsus Stritch, later Samuel Cardinal Stritch, (August 17, 1887 - May 27, 1958) was the ninth bishop (fourth archbishop) of the Roman Catholic diocese of Chicago, serving from 1939 to 1958 (succeeded George Cardinal Mundelein).
He was born on August 17, 1887 in Nashville, Tennessee to a family of German ancestry, and ordained a priest on May 21, 1910 in the Diocese of Nashville. On August 10, 1921 he was appointed Bishop of Toledo, Ohio where he was ordained a bishop on November 30, 1921. He was appointed Archbishop of Milwaukee on August 26, 1930 and installed November 19, 1930 before being appointed Archbishop of Chicago, on December 27, 1939 and installed February 18, 1946.
He was elevated to Cardinal on December 14, 1959, and served as archbishop until his death. On March 1, 1958 he was appointed Pro-Perfect of the Propagaion of Faith, thus became first American member of the Roman Curia, and called to Rome where he died at the age of 70.
He is interred in the Bishops’ Mausoleum at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois. Cardinal Stritch was succeded by Albert Cardinal Meyer.
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Last updated: 02-09-2005 20:28:38
