Ovarian Cysts
The ovaries
The ovaries are 2 almond-shaped organs that are part of the female reproductive system. There's 1 on each side of the womb (uterus). The ovaries have 2 main functions:
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To release an egg approximately every 28 days as part of the menstrual cycle
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To release the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which play an important role in reproduction
An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops on an ovary. They're very common and do not usually cause any symptoms, with most occurring naturally and going away in a few months without treatment.
Ovarian cysts can affect one or both ovaries and can be functional (related to the menstrual cycle and most common), or non functional (not related to the menstrual cycle). Non functional cysts can be benign (not cancerous and most common), borderline or malignant (cancerous).
Symptoms
An ovarian cyst usually only causes symptoms if it bursts (ruptures) or if it is very large or twists and then blocks the blood supply to the ovaries (torsion).
In these cases, you may have pelvic pain, pain during sex, difficulty emptying your bowel, frequency emptying your bladder, changes to your periods and bloating. See a GP if you have symptoms of an ovarian cyst to arrange a pelvic ultrasound.
Treatment
Most ovarian cysts are functional (related to the menstrual cycle) and require only observation. However for non functional or symptomatic cysts surgical treatment may be required (removal of the cyst +/- the ovary). Dr Goulding is both an advanced pelvic surgeon but has also sub-specialised (completed extra years of surgical and academic training) in the management of gynaecological cancers. As such she is highly skilled at managing all types of ovarian cysts.