Alternative options for getting rid of ovarian cysts

[gotcoffee]

Hi,  

Has anyone had any luck with getting an ovarian cyst to go away on its own w/o having to take hormones or have surgery?  I am investigating getting my cyst removed and I would like to be able to say that I tried everything prior to having the surgery?  Let me know.  Thanks!!

[wannasmile63]

This is really a personal decision. All I can say from my experience, ( I am 12 days post op for so called 6cm simple cyst), is to be very careful. Anyone who has followed my posts will know the pain I went through with these cysts, and even two days before surgery ultasound showed cysts hadn't changed, yet pain became excrutiating. Lucky I followed my instincts, (and not Drs advice) as once opened up for surgery my right ovary was found to be twisted 3 times, necrotic (black, with toxic tissue) my fallopian tube was hydrosalpinx(blocked and full of cysts) and my left ovary was multicystic with various 5-6 cm cysts, that they didn't even know existed. I am very lucky they operated when they did, and the surgeons told me themselves they were in complete shock with what they found inside. They only really know, when thay actually open you up. All this, and they were trying to get me to wait til mid January for surgery. Find out all you can, but don't jeopardise your life, or quality of life. Best of luck.

[gotcoffee]

Hi!

Thank you for your post.  I appreciate your story and I will continue to do my research.  Of course, I will continue to pray too.  I go back to the doctor on Friday and I will let you know what I find out.

[janepm]

my docs all year and last year were very concerned about doing biopsies, and then with an ovarian cyst on my right ovary, doing surgery. Many in this group have seen me go through the travails of wondering whether I needed to do that.

Tomorrow was to have been my surgery but I cancelled it a few weeks ago. "Something" kept on telling me that surgery was not the answer. Now in my case, surgery was mostly optional, even though post menopausal, I didn't have symptoms of ovarian cancer (though it CAN be symptom-less) but my CA-125 was normal which is usually more accurate in post menopausal women and I am barely post menopausal leading me to think that perhaps we need to watch this thing vs. going in there. The surgery I think is absolutely necessary for those who are not on the fence but for me, I felt as did my regular GYN that this is a good watch and wait candidate.

I was encouraged here to go for second and more opinions and meeting with a good Oncologist GYN plus my own plus this and other groups and looking at other literature really kept on making me feel that there were other options for me. Of course in '10, we may find the cyst has gotten larger in which case more time has elapsed and I'm fine with it all. I asked for 4 ultrasounds this year, the last one indicated the cyst is no longer on my ovary and is between the uterus and the ovary for some odd reason. It's water filled and this would be my 2-3 water filled cyst on any part of my body which was another reason.

Now, having said all of that, you sound like many of us here: investigate all the pro's and con's, meet with others if you feel you have the time, have the ultrasound, see a good Oncologist GYN and once you feel satisfied with your research, put it all together and think about it and then think about it again, there will be a time your decision will come to you and pray, that helped too!