Treatments for Ovarian cysts

Treatment list for Ovarian cysts: The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Ovarian cysts includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.

Watchful waiting - some cysts cause no problem and may even shrink or disappear.
Birth control pills - this stops ovulation and may affect the cyst and/or prevent new ones.
Surgical cyst removal - resolves symptoms and avoids the risk of ovarian cancer.
Laparoscopy
Laparotomy
Surgical ovary removal

Treatments of Ovarian cysts discussion: The doctor may decide to "wait and see" if the cyst will shrink on its own in a few months. If you frequently develop cysts, your doctor may prescribe birth control pills to prevent you from ovulating. This will prevent follicles from developing and new cysts from forming. Your doctor might talk with you about birth control pills, and if they are right for you. ¹

If the cyst is small and looks benign on the ultrasound, your doctor may perform a laparoscopy. This procedure is done under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis and allows the doctor to closely examine all of your reproductive organs. A very small incision is made above or below the navel, and a small instrument that acts like a telescope is inserted into the abdomen. If the cyst is small and looks benign, it can be removed after the doctor makes very small incisions in the pubic hairline.

If the cyst is too large to remove this way, the doctor may perform a procedure called a laparotomy. This procedure involves making bigger incisions in the stomach to remove the cyst. While you are under general anesthesia, the doctor is able to have the cyst tested to find out if the tissue is cancerous. If it is cancerous, the doctor will then be able to remove other tissue that could be affected, like the ovary, fallopian tubes, uterus, or lymph nodes. Before any surgery, your doctor will talk to you about what will happen during the surgery, the risks, and how long it will take you to recover. It is important to remember that most cysts are not cancerous and relatively harmless if treated properly. ¹

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Ovarian Cysts: NWHIC

Last revision: June 5, 2003

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