Ovarian Dermoid Cyst - Very Painful!!

just quick word,i wish all of you all the best tc mags

Mags, I am booked in for surgery in July to remove both ovaries. They are not doing keyhole so I have been told the recovery will be longer. You have said 9 weeks recovery, which type of surgery did you have? I have booked 8 weeks off work but would be interested in reality how long it might actually take. I have two dermoid cysts which are both 7.5 cm. Is the surgery ok and how long did it take to stop being really sore. Also were you given the option of a full hysterectomy? I'm actually over 50 and have had any children so this option was given to me but I think I will just go with the ovaries. I think the thing Im dreading most is thecatheter of all things? Can anyone tell me how this feels. Thanks

Hi, can anyone advice me please. I am 53 and have 2 large dermoid ovarian cysts. I am booked in for surgery 2nd July for an operation. They are not doing keyhole in-case the cysts rupture. During my last consultation I was asked to consider whether I want to go for a full Hysterectomy. I didn't get the sense they thought I had cancer or anything sinister as they said it was entirely my choice. I have to make a decision by the middle of next week when I attend my pre-op. I am post menopausal so having children is not an issue. Has anyone else been in this situation and any advice about whether I should have everything out or just the ovaries would be very welcome. Thanks

hi im 41 i started having stomach pains the end of january and did not go to the doctor i thaught it would go away, since going to my doctor in april i was sent for 3 ultrasounds where they found a large ovarian cyst measures 10-12 cms i opted to go to the spire hospital which is private but you can still go there this was the best decision iv ever made i was seen the same week i had my surgery the 1st july 2013 please dont sit and suffer with the pain of this keep at the doctor im recovering at home i was only in hospital 2 days had a catheter in that is not a problem getting that out u can hardly feel it soo dont worry . i was also always tired before but time will tell when im better . after you hav your surgery i took ibrufen to get swelling down with cocodamol was the best for me anyway . my cyst has been sent away for tests i will check back in with you and let you know when it comes back . they cannot do these operations by keyhole because of the size they are . i hope my experience has helped somone thank you and good luck to you all xx

Hello everyone, I am 53 years old and I went to the GP in May this year because of waterworks problems; having to get up in the night to spend a penny which is out of character for me! She sent me for ultrasound tests and they found a 3cm dermoid cyst on my right ovary. I had the CA125 blood test which was normal (thank goodness!) I was booked in for a follow up ultrasound to check for any change in July. The cyst was pretty much the same but they also found a 4cm fibroid growing on the outside of the womb (I think this is called a pendunculated fibroid). I saw the consultant this week and she said that at my age they would need to remove the ovary with the cyst but to remove the fibroid would require a full hysterectomy because of where it is. I have constant dull pain, feel exhausted, have lower backache and in addition to the waterworks problem have persistent upset stomach problems. The GP and consultant both feel that the cyst and fibroid are not large enough to cause symptoms but in view of my age and the fact that neither problem was present when I had an ultrasound in 2010 it would be advisable to get rid of them. I am convinced that my symptoms are caused by the dermoid cyst and the fibroid but don't relish the prospect of surgery if it can be avoided. I would really appreciate your thoughts and opinions please xx

Hi Shaunagh1, I had exactly the same symptoms you are describing. Also, just like you, a fibroid was found when they did my ultrasound but it was very small & did not need to be removed. I had my dermoid cyst

removed laparoscopically in May & all the symptoms disappeared. I don't think I fully appreciated how ill

the dermoid had made me until it was gone & if it is affecting you in the same way I wouldn't hesitate to have

the surgery xx

Hi Karen, I am having the dermoid and right ovary removed but they are leaving the fibroid alone for the time being. My consultant has said that she will probably also remove the left ovary as both are often affected. I am a little concerned about how this will affect me as I have read that even post menopause the ovaries do still produce a small amount of oestrogen which in turns helps protect against heart disease. The surgery is planned to be carried out laparoscopically so I am hoping for a quick recovery! I would be interested to know how long it took you to get over your surgery. I have had two previous c-sections and have a lot of scar tissue so I am hoping that this won't be a problem with regard to laparoscopic surgery. Many thanks for responding to my comment, so pleased you now feel so much better; I am hoping for a similar outcome too! xx

Hi Shaunagh, I was off work for a month - originally signed off for three weeks but I took an extra week as I

was still quite tired & a bit sore (sitting very upright ie in an office chair was uncomfortable). I imagine you

would need a longer recovery period if you are having the ovaries removed too. I do think I took longer to

recover as I was pretty run down prior to the op due to the bouts of severe abdo pain & also getting other

random ailments such as mastitis the week before op!

I've got three tiny scars from the laparapscopy - one in my navel, one tiny one below my left hip & one slightly larger incision of about 2cm (which is the one they remove the cyst through) just below my bikini line. They healed really well.

I wonder if your consultant is just talking about removing both ovaries just to be on the safe side - they said to me they may have to remove my ovary if the cyst was interwoven with it, but this turned out not to be the

case - they like to warn you in advance just in case the op turns out to be more complicated than a simple

cyst removal. Perhaps when they operate & get a good look at both ovaries they may not need to remove the left one.

Have you got a date for your operation yet? K x

Hoping for Thursday week as we have private insurance; at least I won't have too long to think about it! After talking to the consultant I got the impression that removing both ovaries is fairly routine. She said that ovarian dermoids often grow in pairs so it is probably safest to remove both. To be honest, I think I would prefer to keep one if it's at all possible but I trust her to make the right decision. I don't like uncertainty and I would prefer to know which bits of me I am going to wake up without, before I go to theatre! I work in school so the timing isn't great; having had six weeks off already for the holiday it likes like I may be getting an extra long summer holiday! How long was it before you were able to drive, Karen and was the post-operative pain easy to control with meds? x

I don't drive, so can't answer that question, but seem to remember the leaflet pretty much saying to do

anything as soon as you feel comfortable. For me, the post op abdominal pain lasted a while - though it was nowhere near as bad as the bouts of pain caused by the cyst! I found it difficult to get around for about a

week and a half, and had soreness for another week or so but not as bad.

The pain post op was more soreness, I imagine similar to what you would have

experienced with the c-sections. I would make sure you have a supply of good painkillers such as

codydramol or tramadol to take alongside ibuprofen. And I also found one of those wheat packs you

microwave good for pain relief.

I also found I had quite severe pain under my ribs for a while - this is caused by the gas they pump your

belly up with. It hurt to lie flat so make sure you have lots of pillows to prop yourself up with & get some

peppermint oil capsules to help with the trapped gas; I also found that if I lay completely flat it was hard to get up again due to the pain & soreness in the abdomen - I felt like a turtle on its back!! Oh, and get some good

laxatives - these are vital after all the painkillers

When I went back to work I had a phased return for a couple of weeks which I was really glad of - feeling ok

at home is different to coping at work, so make sure you take it as easy as you can.

Hi Karen, thank you so much for all the advice and tips. I have read about the 'gas' pain and how it can radiate through to your shoulder blades so at least I will be prepared for that to happen. Hopefully, having had two sections the post-operative pain won't come as a shock. I will see how I feel after with regard to work but I know they will be happy to give me all the time I need. I have two lovely grown-up daughters who will help me and I know my husband will do his best but he has MS so struggles himself - we will be a good pair won't we! It is great to hear that the outcome for you was so positive; I just hope it will be the same for me. Thank you again,

Shaunagh

Hope all goes well for you Shaunagh, & it's good that you will have lots of support. If you think of any other

questions just shout xx