Q1. What is an ovarian cyst?

Ovaries are a woman’s reproductive organs that make female hormones and release an egg from a follicle each month. This follicle is usually about 2-3 cm in size.

An ovarian cyst is a larger fluid fluid filled sac (more than 3 cm in diameter) that develops in an ovary. A cyst can vary in size. It can be simple (containing only fluid) or more complex.

Q2. How common are ovarian cysts?

Ovarian cysts can occur in both young and menopausal women. There are different types of ovarian cyst that occur before menopause, examples of which include: simple cyst, endometrioma, a dermoid cyst etc. Ovarian cysts after menopause carry a higher risk of malignancy hence require prompt evaluation.

1 in 10 women may need surgery for an ovarian cyst at some point in their lives.

Q3. What are the symptoms of ovarian cyst?

Most cysts are diagnosed incidentally during a routine examination, or if you have an ultrasound scan for another reason. You may have no symptoms, or may experience one or more of the following:- lower abdominal pain or pelvic pain, painful periods, or a change in the pattern of your periods, pain related to your bowels, a feeling that you want to pass urine urgently and more frequently, a change in appetite or feeling full quickly, a distended (swollen) abdomen and difficulty in becoming pregnant which may be linked to endometriosis.

Q4. What happens after I am diagnosed with an ovarian cyst?

After a thorough history, examination and an ultrasound scan, some blood tests may be done to determine the type of cyst. In some cases, you might be offered a CT scan or MRI examination.

Q5. What treatment options are available for ovarian cysts?

The choice of treatment depends on symptoms, type and size of cyst as well as the results of your blood tests. If the cyst is simple and small, you can “wait and watch”. You might also be prescribed combined oral contraceptive pills.

Taking the combined oral contraceptive pill will not help a simple cyst disappear although it may stop the development of new cysts in future. Surgical removal of cyst will be required if it gets bigger or is complex.

Q6. Will my ovaries be removed during surgery?

The ovaries produce important hormones before the menopause and therefore in most cases only the cyst is removed. However, there are some circumstances where the ovary may need to be removed, for example if the cyst is very large or has completely replaced the entire ovary. The ovary may also need to be removed if the cyst has twisted so much that the ovary’s blood supply has been cut off, or, rarely, if there is a suspicion that the cyst may be cancerous. The pros and cons of removing ovaries will be discussed with you before surgery.

Q7. Can ovarian cysts be removed by laparoscopy (key hole) surgery?

All benign ovarian cysts can be removed by laparoscopic surgery.

Q8. What are the advantages of 3D Laparoscopy in removing ovarian cysts?

Laparoscopic (key hole) surgery is a patient friendly surgery. It offers rapid recovery, shorter hospital stay, minimal post-operative pain and early return to activities. Use of endobag in key hole surgery reduces the chances of spillage of cyst contents during cystectomy.

As compared to 2D, 3D laparoscopy increases the precision of surgery leading to better visualization of planes and ensures complete removal of cyst with minimal damage to the normal ovarian tissue. Micro surgical techniques reduce the risk of post-operative adhesions.