Regret ovary removal?

[Buffy1123]

Hi,
Has anyone here regretted having their ovary removed?  

I'm scheduled to have laparoscopic surgery to remove a large cyst (9 cm) along with my right ovary and fallopian tube  salpingo-oophorectomy on my right.  From this forum, it appears that many women experience a lot of pain/adhesions after the surgery.  

I'm curious about hearing from women who had the surgery a while ago.

Is removing one problem (cyst/diseased ovary) bring on others?  
Loss of libedo?
Vaginal dryness?
Cysts appearing on the other side?


Thank you in advance...

[old_before_my_time]

The author of the book "A Gynecologist's Second Opinion" says a woman rarely needs her ovary removed for a cyst because there is almost always  some healthy ovarian tissue that can be saved. And the ovary is very resilient and can regenerate to produce the normal level of hormones. It is a shame that there are not more gynecologists out there who use organ-sparing procedures.

If fibroids are causing heavy bleeding, there are hormonal and non-hormonal medications (birth control pills, Lysteda, NSAID's) to treat the bleeding. If they are causing other problems, there are doctors who will remove just the fibroids (myomectomy or hysteroscopy depending on the size) but, unfortunately, you can end up losing your uterus if they do a "bait and switch" at the last minute or you sign a consent form for them to make that call during surgery.

[Buffy1123]

Thank you for sharing your experience.  I'm sorry to hear it didn't turn out in your favour.  Are you experiencing other issues you didn't expect?

I definitely want the cyst out for reasons you stated, but I am very against having my ovary removed.  I've been told by 4 doctors that all my hormones will be supplied by the left ovary so it shouldn't be a problem.  However,  I'm not convinced.  I want to trust their medical advice, but my gut is telling me otherwise.  Also, they say the only way I will have relief from my fibroidsis  to have my uterus removed.  I told them I'm absolutely against that, so they have agreed to perform the salpingo-oophorectomy only.  

The cyst has engulfed my ovary so I don't think it can be saved.
I will do a deeper search for a surgeon who will perform a cystectomy.

Thank you for your time!

[old_before_my_time]

Yes, I regret having my ovary removed. Actually, my gynecologist of 20 years removed ALL my sex organs even though the cyst was benign. He waited for the results of the frozen section while I was in the operating room. And then when it came back benign, he continued removing organs! My cyst  was the same size as yours. However, the removal of one ovary can cause problems as severe as surgical menopause. I know women of various ages who experienced this.

That being said, the concern with this large cyst is that it could cause ovarian torsion which can be excrutiatingly painful and choke off blood supply to the ovary which can cause it to die.

But you should not have to lose your ovary and tube if you have a surgeon with good cystectomy skills. It would be in the interests of your short- and long-term health to seek out a doctor who does a lot of cystectomies since the ovaries produce hormones into a woman's 80's. That will give you the best possibility of keeping your ovary and its health-giving effects.

Best of luck to you!