I just had a 9 lbs pound cyst removed from my right ovary today (I'm actually up in the hospital and bored out of my mind). They did a laparotomy instead of a laparoscopy because of the size of the thing and the fact that they wanted to save as much ovarian tissue as possible (I'm 17, and in the future, I want to be absolutely SURE that I can have children - although the other ovary would have compensated). Ovaries are generally very hard to see on an ultrasound, regardless of weight - my gyno struggled to find a clear picture, and I am currently bordering being underweight (This is due to the fact that the ovary is very small and is below layers of other tissue). From what I have heard from my surgeon, the safest method for an obese person would be to do a laparotomy - A larger cut that either goes vertical past the bellybutton or horizontal along the bikini like. I had a bikini line cut done, which I am very thankful for, since it is less invasive, has a shorter recovery, looks nicer and does not require the surgeon to cut through any muscle tissue - and the scar can be hidden easily. The reason that a laparoscopy may not be possible is because the tiny instruments have to be able to maneouvre around inside her abdomen and the surgeon has to get a clear picture of tissue in the area to check for abnormalities and so he can remove it. When a patient is obese, this restricts their ability to see. A laparotomy will give the doctor more room to remove everything, while also checking for possible malignancies which are more common in overweight people. From my recent experience, it's not half as bad as expected, it just hurts to cough and you get this bad bloated, crampy feeling in your lower abdomen. Before surgery, she would be much better if she would lose some weight (in a healthy manner, you don't want your immune system to crash), but if absolutely necessary, they will be able to operate. She may encounter problems during recovery, as this takes much longer for obese patients. Also, she can expect a bigger scar and more stitches because it is hard to re-align excess skin and fat tissue. I really hope that the surgery goes well and that your sister changes her lifestyle to a healthier options - whether she is having the surgery or not.
Hi. Weight is always a problem when it comes to any kind of surgery, but they will be able to remove the cyst if they have to. They can do it laproscopically if it's not too big or through the abdomen.
I'm not far from your sister's weight and I'm a great healer. Both my surgeries were uneventful in the recuperation department.
Don't worry, she'll do fine!