Ovarian Cyst Removal
Ovarian cyst removal is surgery to remove one or more cysts from one or both ovaries. Open surgery uses a large abdominal incision to view the cyst and surrounding tissue. It may be done instead of a laparoscopic surgery if the cyst is large, there are many cysts, or complications happen during a laparoscopic surgery.
An ovarian cyst may need to be removed if it is:
- Causing pain
- Suspected of being cancerous
- Large—more than 2.5 inches in diameter
- Solid
Treatment depends on your age, the type and size of your cyst, and your symptoms. Doctor might suggest:
- Watchful waiting : In many cases you can wait and be re-examined to see if the cyst goes away within a few months. This is typically an option — regardless of your age — if you have no symptoms and an ultrasound shows you have a simple, small, fluid-filled cyst.
- Medication : Doctor might recommend hormonal contraceptives, such as birth control pills, to keep ovarian cysts from recurring. However, birth control pills won’t shrink an existing cyst.
- Surgery : Doctor might suggest removing a cyst that is large, doesn’t look like a functional cyst, is growing, continues through two or three menstrual cycles, or causes pain.
Some cysts can be removed without removing the ovary (ovarian cystectomy). In some cases, Doctor might suggest removing the affected ovary and leaving the other intact (oophorectomy).