An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops on a woman’s ovary. They are very common and don’t usually cause any symptoms. An ovarian cyst usually only cause’s symptom if it splits, is very large, or blocks the blood supply to the ovaries.
Large or persistent ovarian cysts, or cysts that are causing symptoms, usually need to be surgically removed. Surgery is also normally recommended if there are concerns that the cyst could be cancerous or could become cancerous.
There are two types of surgery used to remove ovarian cysts:
- Laparoscopy
- Laparotomy
Most cysts can be removed using laparoscopy. This is a type of keyhole surgery where small cuts are made in your tummy and gas is blown into the pelvis to allow the surgeon to access your ovaries. After the cyst has been removed, the cuts will be closed using dis-solvable stitches.