The surgical removal of the uterus and both ovaries may come at a serious and overlooked cost to individual health, new research suggests.

A meta-analysis of data from research on over 2 million people has found that having a hysterectomy to remove the uterus and cervix is linked to a 5 percent higher risk of stroke than not having the surgery.

What's more, having a hysterectomy along with the removal of both ovaries is linked to an 18 percent higher risk of stroke. The removal of both ovaries is called a bilateral oophorectomy.

"The results… [highlight] that these common procedures carry longer-term risks," says Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society, a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve women's health.

"They also call attention to an opportunity

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