Hi everyone..since this is my 1st post I'm not quite sure if I am in the right catagory but here goes. For the past yr I have been experiencing pain off and on in my upper abdominal area liver/pancreas area). I had gall bladder surgery when I was 16(now43) and attributed the pain to possibly a hernia or adhesions pulling since the pain was in that area. The past 2 months it has become more frequent so i consulted my family doctor about it and he ordered blood tests and an USound. The blood tests came back with elevated levels in my liver and I was on 6 week wait list for the USound. 2 days before my scheduled usound(feb15th) I went for blood tests again and this time the levels were all back to normal. I had the Usound last wednesday and the doctor called me friday night to say I had a very large cyst on my ovary. Are you ready for this: the cyst is 25 cms/8 inches. He thought they may have found this accidently since the pain was in my upper abdominal area or possibly pulling because of the size. So, he ordered an emergency CT scan which I had yesterday(wednesday) and I see the doctor today for those results and to discuss surgery etc. I also had a c125 done wednesday and don't know the results of that yet. when I was 33 I had my uterus removed for fybroid cysts and then 2 years later had to have my left ovary removed for a 5cm cyst...2 months later the right ovary was no longer producing estrogen and I therefore was in menopause at the age of 35. Since then I have always taken estrogel to help with the menopause symptoms. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on a cyst this size?

Hey Paris.  When I went for my follow-up after my US, my doctor said I had complex cyst about 3cm.  He is having me go back for a US 3/2, and said if it is still there, or has grown, he  highly recommends it coming out.  Leaving it there was not an option for my dr either.  I think some gyn are more conservative with surgery than others.  My gyn definitely is more aggressive, and would prefer it to come out, than wait for it to possibly be a problem later.  That is why finding a dr that can be trusted is crucial to every woman.  Although, it is still important for us to do our homework, as well.

I first went to the gyn on 1/23/06. I went because my husband and I decided we wanted to start a family this year. We moved to Paris in August 04 and I hadn't been to the gyn since. I thought it was time so I went.
He found the cyst and told me right then it would have to come out before I got pregnant.
So, the NEXT day I got an ultrasound and all the blood work necessary for surgery, pregnacy and I think everything known to man.. they took 10 viles of blood.
The doctor wanted to see me before the next week but I was going to Africa so I had to wait until 2/6 the first day I was back.
The doctor explained the US (they did pelvic and vaginal at one appointment). He said the cyst was complex, it wouldn't go away on its own and he wanted to take it out as soon as possible. I never had a second US. I am scheduled for surgery 2/27 (as soon as possible because of my cycle). The doctor is also going to check my tubes and other ovary when doing the surgery to make sure everything is okay for getting pregnant.

I am going to a Hospital so they have many resources and it is easy to get appointments also, it is France so things work differently. For example the doctor wrote me a prescription for the ultrasound and the bloodwork then I made the appointments with his recomendation to do so ASAP.

After reading everyones post I can't help but wonder if I should wait and see about it getting smaller.. but the doctor didn't even give that as an option.

The US also saw two smaller cysts which the doctor said would go too.. but didn't really say much else about them.

Hi Raynbow,
Mine was first picked up on US in nov 2003 at 3.7cm.  It was thought to be endometriomia and my gyn told me completely benign - nothing to worry about.  (Unfortunately she didn't tell me that even bengin they tend to destroy normal ov tissue.  Nor that as a complex cyst it could be cancer, nor that it is possible for the US could be inaccurate with surgery being the only definitive.)  Given the data I had and how sick I was otherwise at the time, I opted to wait and we retested at 8 weeks, then 6 month intervals.  It grew only minimally and looked very stable.  However, at the 2 year US, it now showed nodularity.  Although still a "probable" endometrioma, that nodularity can be a danger sign and it did grow to 4.5cm" so I got pushed to operate quickly (within a month or no more than two).

I didn't care for how this gyn communicated (I was undressed on the table after an unnecessarily painful exam when she happened to mention I now needed surgery for possible cancer), as well as the lack of info, and a sick gut feeling that she was pushing me to get it done there instead of letting me get a second opinion, so I looked elsewhere.

I saw the Gyn Ono at Hopkins within 2 weeks and she recommended that although it was very likely benign due to it's stablity, it could take off, or later start to habor something.  She had me setup for 1 1/2 months later, and didn't want to wait past that point.

I had two male gyn oco hesitate to operate.  They thought it was very stable and unlikely to be anything, but one estimated <10% chance cancer (but more than 1-2%) and the other <5% chance.  They both thought it was unlikely but possible it could change stages while we waited.  So I decided they didn't make sense.  The one even put an adamant surgery recommendation in his consult report while adamantly telling me to wait.

At the last US a month before surgery it was measured as 5.4cm.  However, radiologists measurements can vary so it could have been the same size the whole time.  The nodularity was still there, and this time the radio also picked up a fibroma on the cyst.  (He thought it had been there a while, and he just happened to see it.)  There was never a mention of debris or septations, but I get the feeling to some extent the wording can vary since it's the septations that would make it complex.  Even these two didn't want to wait more than 4 months for any follow up, and possiblity as little as a month for the first checkpoint.

I switched gyn in the meantime, and she said that even benign it needed to come out, but not to wait more than 6 months at the outside.  (She new I had follows set up and wasn't going to be sitting on it.)

I don't know how well this information matches to your situation, but hopefully, describing my story will give you some information to compare to?

My mom helped a lot and bottom line she reminded me that a diagnosis can't be made until they biospy after operating, that USs and other labs can be inaccurate, and if it was very likely cancer they'd have me in the next day.  I had several recommendations that sounded very much like ovca can grow in the 6-8 weeks between followups, so not to wait more than 2 months to get in for surgery if it's not acting stable.  Obviously for 2 years it was stable before that.

Final outcome was benign endometriomia with fibroma attached measured (but roughly) at 4.5cm.  But it had gotten big enough to not be able to save the ovary.  It was growing into the blood supply on both sides (and looks so unhappy on the photos).

Hope this helps.  I spent much time before surgery worrying about what was the right decision.  It was tough and stressful, so you are in good company wondering what to expect!

Cheri

Hey girls, that helps me understand alot....I was just wondering if my Gyn was being aggressive because of an extended outside relationship (his mother-in-law works with dh, and his wife sent dh and dd a "care pkg." when I was in hosp. with prem. labor 3yrs ago., and my dh works in constr. and helped Gyn and his wife pick out their bathroom stuff) But apparently, as I see your stories, it just depends on the doctor...Mine said that he was hopeful that my cyst would just go away, although he wouldn't be surprised if some of it is still there...But I've read many times that the complex ones just don't disappear or decrease in size...Who knows...But if it is the same or bigger, he said I will have surgery...Well, my u/s was on Jan. 25 and the follow-up one is on Mar. 3, so I'm right there with ya'll. Does anyone know what size a cyst has to be to cause ovarian tissues to be messed up or twisted or whatever...Just wondering if he will go ahead and take the ovary too....Can they do that with a lap or does it have to be open surg.?
Thanks!
(((Raynbow

They can take the ovaries with lap.  That is what my doc is planning though I am really agonizing about whether to take them if keeping them is an option.  But she has assured me it is no more invasive to take them out while they are there.

Sorry, the forum didn't post my whole subject line....My question is really for anyone who wants to add something. :-)