Dermoid Ovarian Cyst

Hi Mel I don't know if your still a user but I just recently had surgery for my dermoid cyst and had to have my ovary and fallapion tube removed it was 10cm like your daughters. I wanted to know if they explained to you why didn't they remove hers?

Hi Mel

Can I ask for the name of your surgeon? I have a dermoid as well.

Nicole did Mel ever say who her surgeon was. That would be wonderful to know. Thank you, Kelly.

Mel I pray that you will get this. Please do let us know who your surgeon was. I live in the US but can travel there. The surgeons I saw here said it's 8cm but why keep your ovary. I could not believe what I was heating. Im young and want children that is my right. Thank you, Kelly.

Hi Kelly

Mel never replied. I've met a number of surgeons over the past year since I discovered I had a dermoid. A number of them have said they are up to 95% sure they wouldn't take my ovary.  However, my cyst is inside my ovary and my follicles are draped over my cyst so likely to be loss of follicles. On balance I've decided against surgery. My cyst is 5cm and has only grown 1mm in the past year according to my MRI. I just can't face th thought of losing an ovary as I desperately want children.

 

I've sent Kelly a message.

Hi Mel

Can you tell who your surgeon is? I live in South west London as well. I've known about this cyst for over a year and I just can't face having anything done with it. Just having to contend with the pain. Which suregon did you have? Did you get pregnant after? I'm terrified of surgery.

 

I would forever grateful if you can tell who did your surgery. I have BUPA and live in South West London.

 

Mel said she's sent you a message. Did she tell you who her surgeon was?

 

Of course, the surgeon was Mike Katesmark, and he operates mainly at Ashtead Hospital in Surrey although he is also Lead Clincian for Epsom & St Helier. You can google him & read his credentials & experience. I cannot recommend him too highly.

You need to have it treated! Don't live with the pain, it's just not worth it. Go to your GP, tell him or her what's going on, and ask for a referral as you have BUPA & you can go private. See Mike Katesmark at Ashtead or Epsom hospital: he is very kind, very funny and matter of fact, and he will do all he can to keep your ovary.

There is really no need to be terrified: my daughter Amy was wonderfully looked after at |Ashtead hospital & the only pain was a little bit onm the day after the op. She  was 16 when she had her surgery & is 18 now, so no pregancy yet for her I hope! I was 35 when I had mine & did get pregnant afterwards, 4 times in fact! I don't know who did mine but he did manage to keep my ovary intact.

Thanks, Mel but I just can't face it. They keep saying this type of cyst won't go away on its own. I don't know how I got this It's always been there? I was born with it.

 

They are 100% right, it will not go away, it will keep growing  - you need to get rid of it! It has almost certainly not always been there - they grow with oestrogen so they are rare before puberty.  You will feel so much better when it's all done.  Talk to Mike Katesmark - trust me, you won't regret it. What you do not want, is for this cyst to become twisted or infected & then have to have quick surgery. Elective is best - and if you can have it done keyhole, even better.

Dear Mel, I really hope you see this and pray that you will reply to me. I have had a similar situation to yours in that 24 years ago at age 24 it was discovered that I had dermoidcysts on my ovaries. One was 16x12cm and the other 9x6cm. I had all my right ovary removed and practically all the left. I was told that I would never have children and was put on HRT immediately. I attended a fertility clinic 6 months after the surgery and was advised to come off the HRT for a a short period to see if I had any ovarian function. I started having periods naturally and was told that there may be a small possibilty I could have kids. Thankfully, I went on to have 2 children and periods for 14 years. However I went into early menopause at age 39. Now my worst nightmare has come true, my 21 year old daughter has just discivered that she now has dermoid cysts. Her ultrasound advises that one is 11x9cm and that she has whats known as a simple cyst measuring 6x4cm. I just cannot believe that this is happening again. She has been advised that she she is now to have an MRI scan and then we have to meet to discuss surgery. Obviously I am so worried that she may end up losing all her ovaries at such a young age. We were told that they can't really tell for sure until they have a look inside but the MRI should give a better indication. They have also said that keyhole surgery is unlikely given the size of one of the cysts. I just wondered if you could please advise me what type of surgery your daughter had given the size of her dermoid? Also could you advise me if they told you how they were able to preserve her ovary given the size of the cyst? I just would like as much information as I can get before we speak to the surgeon. We live in Northern Ireland and I want to be sure that we are doing all we canin terms of best surgery. I am so scared of what the outcome of this will be. I would be so grateful if you could get back to me. Any advice  would be appreciated

Hi @mel42. Just wanna ask if what procedure was done with your daughter, is it laparoscopy or open surgery. Because at this moment i have only 1 ovary left and it has a 6cm dermoid cyst. My ultrasound result said that no tissue of ovary was present. But my OB is very hopefull that if theres just a little tissue of ovary, she will save it. My question is, if laparoscopy was done to ur daughter, did her ovary heal? Because im also looking forward of having a child. Thank u and hope to hear from u! Godbless

Hi Kelly

Just wondering how you got on. I managed to find a surgeon who said 100% he wouldn't take ovary. Didn't see mels surgeon in the end as saw fertility surgeon who can check my tubes same time, I've booked in for surgery but overall feel depressed. Life unfair to wimen. I'm sure men wouldn't be so keen to part with one of their balls. Overall it's just unfair, so unfair!

Nicole,

I've been reading this thread and SO glad you have decided to proceed with surgery! Losing follicles does not mean you can't have children. Sounds like you've found a sutgeon you're comfortable with.

I had never had surgery at 49 and had somewhat urgent surgery because of undiscovered huge cysts. I had a vertical pubic to below belly button. Recovery went well and stopped taking pain pills one week after I got home. I only took them at night to sleep. I was overweight and out of shape but felt pretty well and was surprised gow well everything healed. My surgeon did an excellent job. I can't even see my scar unless the light catches it just right.

You will be fine. This is a speed bump that you will get over and go on to have a family and wondeful babies. One woman had only a partial ovary left and told she would never have children. Yet she went on to have two beautiful children proving the Drs wrong.

You have made the right decision and once it is done you will look back and wonder why you suffered for so long. The unknown us scary but this too will pass and your future will be bright again.

Thanks but I wasn't able to go through with the surgery.

Probably if you need surgery you should have it done quickly -not think about it for 2 years like me.

I'm glad you're recovering from your surgery well. Im just not brave enough to go through with it. Maybe after I've had children I will feel differently.

Even if they do leave the ovary, there is no guarantee it will work after they've cut into it. I had a scan last week and the ovary with the dermoid in had a corpus luteum so it obviously works despite the dermoid.

My whole reproductive system is littered with benign growths - dermoids and fibroids. I don't know what does more harm - leaving it or removing it.

Also different gynaecologists have different opinions. It's worse than going to the dentist and one of them saying you need a filling and the other one you don't.

I read an article on how they removed the incorrect ovary of a woman and she went into early menopause at 25 and it put me off. I think will wait until after I've had children. I've not got a lot of trust in the whole process. I believe it very unfair to women.

Nicole,

I had my surgery and recovery went great. Had famtastic surgeon I didn't know I had cysts until they were so big I had major complications. They totallyvtook over my abdomen and I needed s total hysterectomy.

Fibroids can become a huge problem and make it difficult to get pregnant but there are simple procedures to cut off the blood supply and they shrink away.

Cysts are unpredictable and can grow very quickly. Better to get it out now while it's small. Cysts can also be dramatically influenced by pregnancy hormones. You just need to find a surgeon with good cystology skills who can remove just the cyst.

Sending prayers for you.

Sorry to hear you had to have hysterectomy.

Yes - keep me in your prayers. I'm scared or having operation and scared of not having it. I think it would be better if I had a baby first if anything goes wrong it won't matter as much.

Some surgeons say to leave fibroids they are small but they all say to remove the cyst. Then I may form adhesions and not be able to get pregnant naturally.

Nicole

There are always risks but leaving the cyst in is risky too. Right now it's better as non-emergency and less risky. Only one ovary is affected correct?

There are several posts I've read where women have only a partial ovary left and still got pregnant. One woman was just told they would have to remove the ovary because the cyst was so large. When she awoke this morning she still had both ovaries and no more cyst.

Each case is diffrerent but if you have a surgeon who is committed to sabing your ovary do it now before it gets worse or complications arise.

Yes only one ovary. I'm probably being neurotic but I would really like a family. It's really important to me.

Keep me in your prayers. I could imagine booking in for surgery and not being able to go through with it,

I can't do that - that's barbaric taking both ovaries. Did she consent to that? I can't do this.

Or they left both ovaries? Why freak you out and say you may lose an ovary.

Family is SO important. I get it.

She was told they might have to take the one ovary because it looked like the ovary was inside the cyst.

They wete able to remove the entire cyst and not harm the ovary. So she was goid as new with 2 healthy ovaries. It's hard to completely tell what's going on till they get in.

Read justofamerica posts, lots of fear but very good outcome.

Sorry justfromerica

Thanks

I will try and get courage to have the cyst removed. I think to leave fibroids - hysteroscopy sounds unpleasant and my mum says they dry up after the menopause. Just the cyst - get that removed and it will be end of it? I don't want to start having endless gynaecological surgeries. It seems possible to form adhesions after every surgery. Then surgery to remove adhesions, then get adhesions upon adhesions. I don't know - probably won't happen. Pray it's a one off operation, it doesn't affect my ovarian reserve and I get still get pregnant naturally when it's over.

I'm just skeptical about surgery having seen it doesn't always improve quality of life, I saw with my mother when they told her 90% of people were satisfied. They told her it was a routine op as well.

I guess a one off operation and I won't have to see a doctor after until I get pregnant. I hope that's what happens.

Pray I get the courage to go through with it.

Definitely will. Send a message if you need support or have questions.