Can surgery for ovarian cysts impact ovarian reserve?
BY DR. BROOKE WINNERSurgery for ovarian cysts, specifically cystectomy, can impact your ovarian reserve, which refers to the number of eggs you have left.
Here’s what happens during the procedure:
During a cystectomy, the surgeon carefully removes the cyst while attempting to leave the surrounding ovarian tissue intact. This can be tricky because the normal tissue might be thin, and removing some of it could lower your ovarian reserve.
If the ovary has been stretched due to the cyst, it can leave behind a fragile structure, which might bleed. Surgeons can use tools that apply heat to stop bleeding, but this may damage normal tissue and further reduce ovarian reserve.
Interestingly, even though removing cysts can decrease ovarian reserve, your chances of getting pregnant naturally might actually improve afterward. This can be confusing, as the measure of ovarian reserve, like AMH levels, doesn’t accurately reflect your overall fertility. Studies have shown that more experienced surgeons tend to cause less damage to normal ovarian tissue, which highlights the importance of surgical skill in preserving fertility.
Do you prefer to watch it?
Watch Dr. Brooke Winner explain how ovarian cyst surgery can affect ovarian reserve and fertility in this quick video.
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