The recommended treatment for your ovarian cyst will depend on a few different factors including the size and type of the cyst, the presence or severity of symptoms, your age  and whether you have passed menopause.

I have outlined some of the options available to you and you should talk these over with you doctor:

• Giving it time - If the cyst is quite small and is filled only with fluid, and you have no symptoms then the best advice will be to simply wait and see what happens. In most of these cases the ovarian cyst will disappear on its own and so no intervention will be required. Your doctor will put you down for follow-up pelvic ultrasounds to check on the progress of the cyst at regular intervals of 4 weeks or so.
• Contraceptive pills - A typical functional ovarian cyst will only grow on the ovary due to an issue with the follicles that release the egg each month. So if you take birth control pills no eggs will be released and so the chances of developing any more ovarian cysts will be very much decreased.
• Surgery - If the cyst grows large or is causing painful symptoms to the patient then it may be removed through surgery. Also, if the patient is pregnant surgery will be advised. There are two types of surgery that may be performed. Laparoscopy involves making a small incision in the abdomen and is a 'keyhole' surgery type approach more commonly used for cystst that are small and less complicated to remove. Laparotomy is a more serious operation. The doctor will make a larger incision to allow them better access to the cyst. Once the cyst is removed the patient will required some time to recover, but should be able to resume normal activities in around a months time. Once removed, the doctor will usually take the cyst to a lab to be tested for cancer.

Next: Ruptured Ovarian Cyst

More ovarian cyst treatment articles

• Ovarian Cyst Surgery
• Is There An Ovarian Cyst Natural Cure?

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