Angelina Jolie Undergoes Surgery to Remove her Ovaries and Fallopian Tubes

Angelina Jolie has undergone more major preventative surgery.

In 2013, Jolie chose to undergo a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of breast cancer. This time she went under the knife to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes, a choice the "Maleficent" star discusses in a piece written for The New York Times, entitled "Diary of a Surgery."

"I had been planning this for some time," Jolie (under Jolie-Pitt) writes. "It is a less complex surgery than the mastectomy, but its effects are more severe. It puts a woman into forced menopause. So I was readying myself physically and emotionally, discussing options with doctors, researching alternative medicine, and mapping my hormones for estrogen or progesterone replacement. But I felt I still had months to make the date."

However, when test results came back showing that she may have early signs of cancer, Jolie's plans changed. Though additional examinations and tests showed she was negative for cancer, Jolie opted to go forward with the surgery.

"There is more than one way to deal with any health issue," she reminds readers. "The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally. In my case, the Eastern and Western doctors I met agreed that surgery to remove my tubes and ovaries was the best option, because on top of the BRCA gene [a gene Jolie carries which increases her cancer risk], three women in my family have died from cancer."

The proactive mother of six is keeping her uterus at this time, with an IUD insert to deliver hormones to help her body through menopause.

"It is not possible to remove all risk, and the fact is I remain prone to cancer. I will look for natural ways to strengthen my immune system. I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family," she writes.