Although ovarian cysts may disappear naturally without treatment, ovarian cyst removal is recommended when cysts are large, solid, irregularly shaped, suspected of being cancerous, twisted, ruptured, and or causing severe pain. Development of a cancerous ovarian cyst increases with the woman's age, thus, it is more likely to be recommended for older patients to have cysts removed immediately.
Prior to undertaking an ovarian cyst removal procedure, a through physical examination of the patient is conducted. The doctor will review the patient's current medications, order routine tests of blood and urine, as well as request that X-rays and CT scan of the abdomen be done to confirm the diagnosis.
In order to remove an ovarian cyst, a doctor may choose to perform either laparoscopic surgery or open surgery, depending on the type of ovarian cyst that is removed. It is common to perform open surgery on larger cysts.
In laparoscopic surgery, a slim tube called a laparoscope is introduced into the patient's body by making a small incision in the lower abdomen. It is very helpful in locating the ovarian cyst as well as to guide its removal.
To excise a particularly large cyst, the physician may need to perform a surgical procedure for ovarian cyst removal using general anesthesia. The patient may suffer some discomfort after the operation. Complications such as infection and bleeding may occur as well. The patient must recognize that further cysts may develop in the future. And, while it is rare, the patient may also become infertile and/or suffer clotting.
If ovarian cancer is not detected during the surgery, it is highly unlikely that the patient will suffer any complications. Full recovery is expected within weeks after the surgery. On the other hand, if ovarian cancer is detected, then the patient may have to have one or both ovaries removed either during the surgery or in another surgery. Treatment of ovarian cancer would need to follow.
Surgery for ovarian cyst removal may result in high fever or chills, abdominal swelling, vomiting, excessive pain or bleeding or any other ill feelings. If you experience any of these after your operation, contact your doctor immediately. You may or may not experience any complications post-surgery but nonetheless, it should be closely monitored.
