Anytime an ovarian cyst is causing severe pain, is ruptured or twisted, large, solid, irregularly shaped, or suspected of being cancerous, removal of the cyst is recommended. The chances of a cyst being cancerous will increase for older patients, so the older the patient with the ovarian cyst is, the more likely that ovarian cyst removal will be undertaken.
Before removing an ovarian cyst, a physician will typically conduct a comprehensive physical exam with the patient. Along with the exam, they will also review the medications a patient is taking and order urine and blood tests. A CT scan and abdominal x-ray may also be conducted to confirm the presence of an ovarian cyst before surgical removal.
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, the surgeon makes a small incision in which to insert a thin tube called a laparoscope. The tube is used to find the cyst and from there, the surgeon is able to remove the cyst.
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.
Once the Ovarian cyst has been removed you will need to keep in touch with your doctor and let him know if you begin experiencing any symptoms such as abdominal swelling, vomiting, nausea, fever and chills, shortness of breath, excessive pain or bleeding. Ovarian cyst removal is like any other surgery, proper recovery time and monitoring for possible complications is all that is required afterwards.
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