One of the most common female diseases is an ovarian cyst. The sizes for the operation of this formation, as well as its varieties and methods of treatment, are considered in this article.
What is a cyst?
Nowadays, women with symptoms of ovarian cysts are turning to a gynecologist more often. Upon learning of their diagnosis, many panic. However, this is not worth doing. A cyst is nothing more than a benign mass that is located on the body and tissues of the ovaries. Usually it appears when a woman experiences a hormonal failure. What is this phenomenon? In fact, this is not a tumor, but only a bubble filled with liquid. It has rather thin walls, based on a kind of leg. The dimensions of this cavity can be different: from a few millimeters to twenty centimeters. The larger the bubble, the more likely it will be to remove it. The attending physician will tell the patient at what size the ovarian cysts perform the operation, and also prescribe the necessary treatment.
As a rule, it does not pose any danger if it is diagnosed in time. However, cases of its degeneration into a malignant tumor are known.
Only a doctor can detect a cyst. The first examination takes place on a gynecological chair, where the doctor will see that the ovaries (or only one of them) have increased in size. After this, an ultrasound examination will be prescribed, which will confirm the doctor’s assumptions.
In addition, it is necessary to take tests for FSH and estrogen hormones in order to understand the cause of cyst formation. It will also be mandatory to make an examination for the marker CA-125. Its indicator will reveal if there is a cancer risk.
When all tests are ready, you need to make sure that this is really an ovarian cyst. Symptoms and treatment of a woman will be further examined by a doctor.
Cyst or not?
Those who first encountered such a phenomenon, far from always can recognize this disease in themselves.
Usually the first symptoms that women notice in themselves are:
- Pain in the lower abdomen. They can be localized in only one part of it.
- Menstrual irregularities. A delay of a week or more or, conversely, an early arrival of menstruation should alert the woman. Especially if it began to happen regularly.
- Soreness during intercourse. The larger the cyst, the more it presses on adjacent organs, causing discomfort.
- Temperature rise. Usually this is a low indicator, a little more than 37 degrees.
- Insomnia. Due to hormonal changes, a woman does not sleep well at night. Especially if there is pain in the lower abdomen.
- Nausea. One of the most common concomitant symptoms.
Quite often, a cyst of the right ovary is confused with acute appendicitis. If a torsion of her legs occurred, then without an ultrasound examination these diseases are almost indistinguishable.
Reasons for the appearance
Depending on the reason for which the cyst appeared, several types of it are distinguished. However, there are general conditions for the appearance of this disease:
- Irregular and early onset of menstruation (10-11 years).
- Endocrine Disorders
- Taking hormonal drugs that affect the appearance of cysts.
- Infertility.
- Abuse of addictions.
- Obesity.
Functional (follicular)
According to statistics, the most common type of cyst is a functional, or corpus luteum. She stinks quite often in women of reproductive age. Every month, in a healthy woman, a follicle matures on one of the ovaries. It contains the egg. If fertilization does not occur, an underdeveloped unfertilized ovum leaves the follicle, and the woman begins her period. However, this process does not always go so smoothly. The slightest failure in the body can contribute to the fact that the follicle does not break. In this case, it is filled with liquid. The walls of such a bubble are thin. The larger it is, the thinner they are. But you should not worry: usually by the next arrival of menstruation, it completely dissolves. In the case when this does not happen, it begins to fill with fluid and increase. If you have been diagnosed with a follicular ovarian cyst, the size for surgery is usually 8 centimeters. Only in rare cases does it occur larger than this limit.
However, surgery does not come so often. With a properly structured conservative treatment regimen, she will leave herself. The most important thing that is required of a woman is to see a doctor at the first sign. Almost always, such an ovarian cyst (see photo in the article) is accompanied by pulling pains in the lower abdomen, usually worsening after ovulation.
A complication that can occur when ignoring this formation is torsion of the cyst legs, as well as its rupture.
Although often such small bubbles are accidentally discovered by doctors on ultrasound, and they do not carry any danger
Dermoid
This type of cyst differs from follicular. Although the clinical picture is very similar: a woman begins to feel pain in one of the ovaries, complains of abdominal pain. Usually a dermoid cyst is not large. As a rule, she begins to manifest herself, reaching 3-5 centimeters. Upon examination, the doctor will feel a seal on one of the ovaries. The walls of such a bubble are quite dense, but elastic. An ultrasound examination prescribed by a doctor will be able to determine that it is a dermoid ovarian cyst. Symptoms and treatment of a woman with such an education differ from functional. It does not go away on its own; surgery is usually required.
Due to the hormonal surge in the body, a bubble is formed from the connective tissue. Usually it is observed in girls in adolescence, women experiencing menopause, as well as in pregnant women. A sharp increase in homons provokes the development of such a cyst. In rare cases, when the treatment was not carried out on time, the so-called teratoma can increase up to twelve centimeters in size and even develop into a malignant tumor.
A characteristic feature of this type of cyst is its gel-like contents. When such a tumor is removed, doctors find in the cavity of the bladder the rudiments of teeth, hair follicles, and cartilage. What is noteworthy: in the cavity of this tumor, sebaceous glands are developed. Therefore, it also contains adipose tissue.
The smaller the formation, the easier it is to remove. If you were told at an ultrasound that you have a teratoma, you should not be scared. In most cases, this is a benign ovarian cyst. The dimensions for the operation are not important here: when diagnosing a dermoid cyst, they take the necessary tests, exclude cancer, and then prepare the patient for the operation. After it, the contents of the tumor are taken for study.
Dimensions of the endometrioid ovarian cyst for surgery
Nowadays, quite often women are faced with a diagnosis of endometriosis. Under this name is a fairly serious disease. It is accompanied by inflammation of the uterine mucosa. Against the background of this disease, a complication such as an endometriotic cyst may develop.
Unfortunately, doctors still can not come to a consensus on why it is formed. According to one version, this happens because during menstruation, blood from the uterine cavity enters the ovary along with endometrial cells. There they grow, forming this same cyst. Another variant of its origin: with any surgical intervention, the woman’s uterus and ovaries were injured, which contributed to the development of such a cyst.
This education manifests itself in the following symptoms:
- Lower abdominal pain.
- Difficulties with conception.
- Too long periods (more than 10 days).
- Bowel problems, frequent constipation.
- Increased body temperature.
Usually, the most frightening sign for a woman is that trying to get pregnant for a long time cannot succeed. With ultrasound diagnosis, an endometriotic cyst can be diagnosed.
Fortunately, there is a chance that you can do without surgery. The doctor will first try conservative treatment. Menopause is artificially created for a woman so that all genital organs are, so to speak, inoperative. Against the background of taking strong hormonal drugs, such tumors decrease in size or completely disappear.
However, in the case when such an ovarian cyst is large, surgery is inevitable. Education with a diameter of more than 5 centimeters becomes dangerous for a woman's health. If hormone replacement therapy has not helped, surgery is indispensable.
In good clinics, the safest operation of all is performed - laparoscopy of the ovarian cyst. With just a few holes in the abdomen, doctors remove the tumor. After this procedure, women recover much faster than after abdominal surgery.
Paraovarial
It is believed that most often doctors diagnose a cyst of the left ovary. The sizes for the operation of such formations depend on each particular species. For example, a paraovarial tumor is characterized by the fact that it usually forms on the left side.
Such a cyst is a fused ovary and its appendage. It is located in the ligaments of the uterus. The causes of its formation are endocrine diseases, untimely puberty, as well as frequent surgical abortions.
Increasing in size, such a cyst begins to put pressure on the bladder and intestines. As a result, women experience frequent urination and constipation. In addition, the menstrual cycle is disrupted, and sexual life becomes impossible due to constant pressing pain.
This type of cyst is considered the largest. If left untreated, the growth can reach more than ten centimeters in diameter. There are cases when the paraovarial formation increased to several kilograms. This happens very rarely, it is usually found, being very small.
Undoubtedly, if the doctor says that you have a large paraovarial cyst of the left ovary, the operation will be performed as soon as possible. Often she is not allowed to grow more than 7-8 centimeters. There are times when such a growth is detected on the right. There is absolutely no difference for its treatment or removal.
The walls of this cyst are very dense, equipped with blood vessels.
The fair sex will be pleased with the fact that this formation does not flow into a malignant one. But this does not give a woman the right to forget about him! Only timely treatment will help get rid of such a cyst. As a rule, if it is small in size and no longer grows, then such a growth will not bring any harm. In this case, it is necessary to constantly monitor it with the help of ultrasound and the consultation of a gynecologist.
Unfortunately, the paraovarial cyst does not resolve itself. In rare complicated cases, the doctor will perform abdominal surgery to remove it. A small-diameter ovarian cyst is removed using laparoscopy.
Cystadenoma
This is another type of cystic tumor. It has clear contours and is filled with serous fluid. May consist of one or more cameras.
If you have a serous ovarian cyst , the dimensions for the operation of such a tumor are more than 5 centimeters in diameter. Cases were recorded when it grew more than 30 cm. This is clearly a neglected disease that caused unbearable pain to a woman. However, for some reason, such patients did not turn in time to the doctors for help. With this complication, there is a noticeable increase in one part of the abdomen, just the one where the tumor is localized.
In rare cases, it can develop into a malignant one.
At the first signs of such a cyst, the doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory and antitumor drugs, hormone therapy, and fortification with vitamins. Often, conservative treatment gives a good result.
Complications
In some cases, ovarian cysts can cause some complications. Usually they are as follows:
- Rupture of a cyst. In this case, the entire contents of the bladder enters the abdominal cavity. In this case, a process similar to rupture of the appendix occurs - peritonitis. A woman feels a sharp pain, her body temperature rises, loss of consciousness may occur. All this is fraught with internal bleeding. The patient must be urgently taken to a medical institution.
- Twisting cysts. In this case, the ovary is "taken hostage." Blood does not flow to him, and therefore pain syndrome develops rapidly, which cannot be stopped with any medicine. In case of torsion, the ovarian cyst will be immediately removed. Unfortunately, sometimes with him. If the ovary has not been supplied with blood for a long time, then its tissues die, which cannot be restored.
- Transition to malignancy. This usually happens when the cyst has been ignored for a long time. Treatment that is not started on time can contribute to tissue degeneration, and this is already very, very dangerous. Therefore, you should immediately consult a doctor if you suspect that you have an ovarian cyst. The sizes for the operation of such tumors are determined by the doctor. It happened that the follicular cyst reached more than 8 cm in diameter, but passed independently, without the intervention of a surgeon. Everything is very individual.
- Inflammation. Prolonged development of the cyst can cause suppuration on the ovary. In this case, antibiotic therapy should be prescribed immediately.
Ovarian cyst removal operation
Modern medicine easily copes with such an ailment. When conservative therapy does not help, doctors perform an operation. Many women immediately see the picture: a surgeon with a mask on his face cuts her stomach up and down. Just a couple of decades ago, it was. But now there are more gentle methods. For example, laparoscopy. With a special tool, the doctor makes small holes in the abdomen. Then an operation is performed to remove the cyst. First, its contents are carefully eliminated, which are subsequently sent for histology. After, the walls of the bubble are removed. The simplest is the removal of functional cysts. They are practically safe and have thin walls.
A dermoid cyst requires a more thorough intervention, since various solid elements are contained in its cavity.
In the case when there is a sudden rupture of the cyst or its torsion, the operation is carried out urgently. In this situation, it will most likely be abdominal. Rehabilitation after it is about ten days. With laparoscopy, this period is reduced by three times.
An ovarian cyst may appear again after surgery. However, many women, knowing the reasons for her education, try to warn themselves against this in the future.
First, you need to carefully monitor the schedule for taking the prescribed medications. If this is not done, relapse will not take long. Is it only worth the torment that had to go through during the operation? Secondly, if an ovarian cyst is removed, then this does not at all threaten your reproductive function. Having recovered, a woman can again become a mother.
Usually the surgery ends successfully, do not be afraid and drag him. Otherwise, there is a risk of complications.
After the operation, pain will continue, which will disappear in a few days. Taking medication will ease your condition. And do not forget about the sexual rest that the doctor will prescribe for you. If you follow these simple recommendations, the process will be much simpler.
Conclusion
From our article, you learned at what size the ovarian cysts perform surgery. However, it does not always matter. First you need to find out the reason why it was formed. Then the doctor will determine her type by giving the woman the necessary tests and an ultrasound scan. As a rule, the determination of the level of special hormones, the number of leukocytes in the blood, and the determination of tumor markers become necessary.
After all these procedures, it is decided how the treatment will be carried out. Large cysts (from 8 centimeters) are almost always removed promptly. More often this happens with laparoscopy.
Follicular cysts have the ability to disappear on their own. However, with their regular appearance, hormone therapy should be prescribed in order to avoid their occurrence in the future. True, as experts say, such cysts will appear and disappear on their own almost throughout the entire fertile period of a woman's life.
Endometriotic cyst requires more complex treatment. Even after its removal, it is necessary to carefully treat the uterine mucosa, which will help eliminate relapses.
The remaining types of cysts appear only once and after removal never return.