As the eighth most common type of cancer, ovarian cancer is a condition that affects thousands of people across the country every year. Women over the age of 50 are at the highest risk of developing ovarian cancer, and one of the commonly used treatment options is ovarian cancer hysterectomy. It is one of the most effective surgical treatments for ovarian cancer. Given the modern technology and use of minimally invasive surgeries, the hysterectomy procedure for ovarian cancer is relatively safe with an option for quick recovery. So, let’s learn about ovarian cancer surgery options, what they are, and how they can help you beat cancer.

Hysterectomy For Ovarian Cancer

There are different types of hysterectomy procedures and for ovarian cancer, oophorectomy is often the most commonly prescribed procedure. For the initial stages of ovarian cancer, only an oophorectomy is enough to treat the condition, which is the removal of one or both ovaries. 

For advanced ovarian cancer, doctors often recommend patients to go through three distinct procedures together namely, hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus and cervix), oophorectomy (the removal of one or both ovaries), and salpingectomy (the removal of the fallopian tubes). 

When it comes to hysterectomy for ovarian cancer, initially the procedure that’s most effective and commonly prescribed is an oophorectomy. This is mainly because removing the ovaries is of utmost importance when it comes to ovarian cancer. Let’s take a look at how oophorectomy is performed, its benefits, and its risks.

How is Oophorectomy Performed?

Oophorectomy is a procedure that involves removing the ovaries from the body. In certain cases, the fallopian tubes are removed too in the process. Oophorectomy is also often a part of a larger hysterectomy procedure, which is used to remove the uterus and cervix. This is all done to limit the spread of the cancer and ensure that the cancer has also been properly eliminated from the body.

Oophorectomy surgery can be performed both as a laparoscopic procedure and an open surgery. In case of an open surgery, it is performed by making incisions in the abdomen. The incisions are used to access the ovaries and remove either one or both of them based on the spread of the cancer. After the removal is complete, the incisions are sewn and that concludes the surgery. An open surgery has a considerable recovery period and requires a certain mandatory hospital stay post-surgery.

The same procedure when performed as a laparoscopic surgery requires a lower recovery period and the patient can even be discharged after the procedure with no specific requirement for hospital stay. As a minimally invasive procedure, the surgery starts with making small incisions for the surgical tools to be inserted into the body. Doctors use a camera scope to get visuals inside the body. The ovaries are removed similarly and the incisions are sewn up to complete the surgery. Both these types of oophorectomy are performed under general anesthesia.

Benefits of Oophorectomy

The most important benefit of Oophorectomy is that the cancer spread can be tackled and combined with a hysterectomy, it can ensure that the recurrence of cancer can be prohibited. Apart from that, here are some of the other benefits of oophorectomy.

• Risk Mitigation: When you have an oophorectomy, it reduces your risk of getting ovarian cancer in the future too. This is applicable to patients who need to go through the procedure preemptively as a preventive measure against ovarian cancer. If you have risk factors for ovarian cancer, doctors may recommend you to get this procedure.
   
• Fertility Preservation: Regardless if you are having the procedure preemptively or after having ovarian cancer, getting this surgery promptly can allow women to preserve their fertility. This can be done by removing only one of the two ovaries, which would allow the patient to continue their menstrual cycle, however, they would get their menopause sooner comparatively.
   
• Cyst Removal: Ovarian cysts can be removed using this surgery and as such this procedure can help relieve your symptoms of ovarian cysts.
   
• Quicker Recovery: If you get this procedure as a minimally invasive surgery, the recovery time is relatively quicker and you will be able to go home from the hospital sooner.

These are some of the benefits of oophorectomy, let’s discuss the risks of oophorectomy next.

Risks of Oophorectomy

As a major surgery, oophorectomy has certain risks involved that are standard for most surgical procedures, this includes:

• Bleeding during the surgery
• Risk of infections
• Blood clots are both caused during the surgery or during recovery
• Reaction to anesthesia. This is especially important because the surgery is often recommended to people over the age of 40 or 50.
• Sudden onset of menopause. This can have different symptoms and can be uncomfortable for the patient if both the ovaries are removed during the procedure.

Conclusion

That’s a short overview of oophorectomy that will help you understand the procedure and how it can help you in case you need it. For more information on oophorectomy or hysterectomy surgery in Delhi, visit MASSH. We specialize in minimally invasive procedures and can help you get complete medical care to help you beat ovarian cancer and other menstrual health problems. To learn more about our treatment options for ovarian cancer, check out our website.