Ovarian Cyst

[Dobbyhorse]

Hi, I’m 63 and post menopause. I was having my 6 week post surgery (multiple prolapse repairs) check up. Gynaecologist did an abdominal scan (I had one pre surgery with NAD). She said words no patient wants to hear, “Oh no. What’s that?”

Great.

She then did an internal scan and confirmed that I have a 30mm cyst on my ovary. She said it’s benign and showed me what looks like a round void. She said it’s fluid.

She recommends removal of both ovaries which I’m not worried about. If it stays this size, it’ll be keyhole surgery which will be a walk in the park compared to my last op. I’m due to go back late February to check it and schedule removal of both (now fully redundant) ovaries.

Obviously I’ve googled and read that these fluid cysts can come and go by themselves. They can also get bigger, eek!

My question here then is, has anyone had a benign cyst or cysts that resolved themselves?

Edit: I’m not in the UK, healthcare here is very good, very responsive. I’ll have the op whatever happens, I’d just like to hear others’ experiences.

thank you

Yes.

I was 53 at the time.

It was about 3cm- same size as yours. I was scanned very regularly for 2 years and then it disappeared.

My understanding is that anything over 5cm is usually removed (and there can be a discussion about cysts of any size coming out in older women.)

There will be guidance online by the Royal College of Gynaecologists if you want to google.

I think there is some evidence that even post menopause the ovaries work and produce testosterone which converts to estrogen. So you might want to hold onto them.

I've had a very big one size of a grapefruit burst and I was extremely unwell and I have another one surgerically removed by keyhole, but they were able to save my ovary.

@Dobbyhorse I know you are not in the UK but this is the guidance here.
What you have been offered seems very different.

https://www.rcog.org.uk/media/4v3ncfib/gtg_34.pdf

How do you manage ovarian cysts in postmenopausal women?

Do all postmenopausal women with ovarian cysts require surgical evaluation and is there a role for conservative management?

Asymptomatic, simple, unilateral, unilocular ovarian cysts, less than 5 cm in diameter, have a low risk of malignancy.

In the presence of normal serum CA125 levels, these cysts can be managed conservatively, with a repeat evaluation in 4–6 months.

It is reasonable to discharge these women from follow-up after 1 year if the cyst remains unchanged or reduces in size, with normal CA125, taking into consideration a woman’s wishes and surgical fitness

I had one last year 3.5cm and I think I get them frequently as sometimes I get the sharpest pains when I cough if I'm lying down.

My private consultant said he wasn't worried and that it would disappear. Which it had done by the next scan 6 weeks later.

I had a cyst that was 35mm. I had a follow up scan which had shown it had grown to 56mm at which point surgery was discussed. After a day of excruciating agony I was rescanned and the cyst had burst and there was free fluid in my abdomen. Not the most pleasant experience in my life. I have been scanned again and I seem to be quite cysty. I recognise the pain type now and it alternates between my ovaries.

Yes.

It burst. It was extremely unpleasant and painful. Not recommended.

I had one for a few years which disappeared eventually. I then got another on the other side which was discovered via ultrasound for post meno bleeding. It grew to 7cm in a year and so had that ovary and both tubes removed.