Patient education: What you should know about oophorectomy (The Basics)

What is oophorectomy? — Oophorectomy is surgery to remove the ovaries. The ovaries are part of the reproductive system (figure 1). If you have monthly periods, your ovaries release an egg about once a month.

Both ovaries can be removed, or just 1. Or, in some cases, doctors might remove just part of an ovary. This is called "cystectomy."

Why might I have an oophorectomy? — Reasons that you might have an oophorectomy include:

●Ovarian cancer – This happens when normal cells in the ovaries change into abnormal cells and grow out of control.

If you have a very high risk of ovarian cancer, you might choose to have your ovaries removed. This protects you from getting ovarian cancer.

●Endometriosis – This is a condition where cells from the lining of the uterus grow outside of the uterus. Sometimes, these cells can grow and form a cyst in 1 or both ovaries.

●Tubo-ovarian abscess – This is when pus collects because of an infection in the ovary and a fallopian tube.

●Benign tumors or cysts – "Benign" tumors are not cancer. But cysts and benign tumors on the ovaries can cause other problems, including pain and bleeding.

●Metastatic cancer – This is when cancer from 1 part of the body spreads to another part of the body. For example, cancer that starts in the intestine could travel to the ovaries and start growing there.

Sometimes, oophorectomy is done at the same time as other procedures. These include:

●Hysterectomy – This is surgery to remove the uterus.

●Salpingectomy – This is surgery to remove the fallopian tubes. When the fallopian tubes are removed at the same time as the ovaries, it is called "salpingo-oophorectomy."

How will my body change after an oophorectomy? — It depends on your age and whether you have 1 or both ovaries removed.

If you have not yet gone through menopause (when monthly periods stop), having both ovaries removed will cause "surgical menopause." This is when menopause happens earlier than normal. After this, your body will not be able to make enough of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This can cause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and vaginal dryness. In some cases, you might be able to take "hormone replacement" medicines until about age 50. Talk to your doctor or nurse about the risks of early menopause and your treatment options.

People who have only 1 ovary removed will not go through surgical menopause. But they might go through menopause earlier in life than someone with both ovaries.

What if I want to get pregnant? — Oophorectomy affects your fertility (your ability to get pregnant). If you have both ovaries removed, it will not be possible to get pregnant without specific treatment.

In some cases, it might be possible to carry a pregnancy after oophorectomy if:

●You remove and freeze eggs before your surgery – These can be fertilized and implanted into the uterus later on.

●You use a donor egg – You might be able to use a "donor" egg to get pregnant. (This is an egg that comes from another person.)

Both of these options can be very expensive. Some insurance plans might not pay for all or any of the costs.

If you still have 1 ovary after oophorectomy, you probably have about the same chance of getting pregnant as someone with 2 ovaries.

If being able to get pregnant is important to you, talk to your doctor about this before scheduling your surgery. They can refer you to a fertility expert, who can help you understand all of your options.

Do I have other treatment options? — The choice to have surgery or not is yours. But whether you have other options for treatment depends on why your doctor is recommending oophorectomy. For some conditions, like cancer, oophorectomy might be your best chance at survival. It could be very dangerous not to have surgery, or to delay surgery. But in some cases, you might be able to try other treatments. Or it might be an option to wait to have oophorectomy until after you are finished having children.

To understand all of your options, talk to your doctor or nurse. They will tell you what your options are based on your situation.

What questions should I ask before having an oophorectomy? — If your doctor recommends oophorectomy, ask these questions:

●How might this surgery help me?

●Will it help me live longer?

●Are there other treatments for my condition that I can try?

●Will I feel better if I have this surgery than I would with medicines or other treatments?

●What are the risks of the surgery for me?

●What happens if I don't have this surgery?

●What will my life be like after having this surgery?

●What if I want to get pregnant?

Make sure that you understand the answers to these questions. If anything is not clear, ask your doctor or nurse to explain it again.

More on this topic

Patient education: Oophorectomy (The Basics)
Patient education: Ovarian cancer (The Basics)
Patient education: Ovarian cysts (The Basics)
Patient education: Endometriosis (The Basics)
Patient education: Hysterectomy (The Basics)
Patient education: Preserving fertility after cancer treatment in women (The Basics)
Patient education: Female infertility (The Basics)
Patient education: Menopause (The Basics)

Patient education: Ovarian cancer diagnosis and staging (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Treatment of ovarian cancer (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Ovarian cysts (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Endometriosis (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Abdominal hysterectomy (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Menopause (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Menopausal hormone therapy (Beyond the Basics)