Complex Ovarian Cysts- are there alternatives to surgical removal?

I've been doing some reading on ovarian cysts, and the answer that keeps coming up for complex cysts is surgical removal, most often by laparoscopy. This is done due to concerns about ovarian cancer. But aren't there other options available? And how do they know that a cyst should be removed, particularly if it is multi-compartmental?

Complex Ovarian Cysts- are there alternatives to surgical removal?
I have had a number of complex ovarian cysts that have caused me a lot of pain, once with a 7.7cm cyst they decided to perform surgery (laparoscopy) to remove the cyst but before they got that far my cyst ruptured and I had emergency surgery (laparoscopy).





In April this year I had another complex ovarian cyst that was 4.6cm but my doctor and gyno recommended going on the birth control pill to see whether it would resolve on it's own and if it didn't that they would do another laparoscopy to remove it. The last scan I had said that the cyst had kept growing and was 5.1cm, but a week later it once again ruptured, although I didn't need emergency surgery again.





I guess it depends on the type of cyst, the size and whether or not it causes pain. Most of the cysts I have had has caused me intense pain, however some of them were only about 3.5cm (which my doctor says is not big enough to really operate for) they usually wait a cycle or two to see if they go away on their own as they most often usually do (go away on their own).





I hope this helped answer your question. If you have any further questions regarding ovarian cysts, please feel free to email me anytime (the link to my email is in my profile).





Good luck :)
Reply:You can treat (shrink) them with cycling progesterone only therapy (no estrogen).
Reply:I myself have suffered from ovarian cysts as well. When mine were detected one was 4 inches and the other was 6 inches. One on each side. No not 4cm or mm they had converted them to inches for me. We waited a month to see if they went away with my period, they didnt. Then she gave me some drug(sorry dont remember the name) to see if they would shrink. They didnt. I scheduled my laparoscopy and low and behold I had endometriosis as well.


So yes there could be medicine out there to try and see if they shrink, but dependin on the kind they probably do perform surgery.


I know I had blood tests done to see if I think it was protein levels were high to test for cancer. They came back negative.


I am not sure when you say multi-compartmental.


If you have them(you dont say) good luck.
Reply:Try progesterone or the birth control pill.