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Ovarian Cysts

The ovaries are the female organs that make the body's reproductive hormones and eggs. A pair of ovaries is found in the lower part of a woman's belly. A cyst is a balloon-like sac that is filled with fluid or solid material. It develops in or on an ovary. A cyst can be as small as a dime or as large as a basketball. Most women will have a cyst on an ovary at least once in their life, although not every one will need treatment.

You may not know that you have a cyst, or there may be any number of these signs:

• pelvic pain, sharp and sudden, small and nagging, or with sex

• a change in menstrual period

• swelling in the waist or hips

• a change in bowel habits, from diarrhea to severe constipation, and rarely

• unnatural growth of hair or breasts

If you have any of these signs, you should see your healthcare provider. There are many different forms of cysts that need different treatments. The most common kind of cyst forms during the monthly cycle and disappears with your period. These do not usually need treatment.

Some do not go away each month; others cause a lot of pain. Blood tests and an ultrasound, a test using sound waves to study the organs, may be needed. These tests help tell if the cyst has any cancer or infection within. The cyst may need to be removed by surgery. Further surgery and medications may be required. This is not common in young women but happens more often as we age.

Today, much surgery in the pelvis is done with an instrument called a laparoscope. This is a telescope-like tool that gives a close-up look at the organs. Different tools can be used with this that allow a doctor to do surgery and remove these cysts. Less pain and recovery time make this a useful procedure for checking and treating cysts of the ovary.

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