If you have an ovarian cyst, you’re not alone. This common women’s medical condition affects as many as 8% of premenopausal women. One of them is model Hailey Baldwin Bieber, who recently announced that she has an ovarian cyst the size of an apple.
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop in one or both of your ovaries. They are rarely cancerous, but they can cause burdensome symptoms, including pain, urinary problems, and unusual vaginal bleeding. Or they may cause no symptoms at all.
Women diagnosed with ovarian cysts typically have several treatment options. To address symptoms and protect your future gynecological health and well-being, it’s important to receive treatment from a care provider who specializes in ovarian cyst care.
If you have an ovarian cyst, you can turn to Susan Crockett, MD, and our team of gynecology experts at Virtuosa GYN in San Antonio, Texas. Our care team has extensive expertise diagnosing and treating ovarian cysts.
Read on to learn about the treatment options available for this condition.
Watchful waiting
If we discover an ovarian cyst during a pelvic exam, we may perform additional testing, such as an ultrasound test, to gather information about its size, appearance, location, and the type of cyst you have.
When a cyst is not very large and is not causing troublesome symptoms, we may suggest watchful waiting. This means we hold off on treating it, but check it on a regular basis to see if it grows larger. The cyst may stay the same size or even disappear on its own.
Watchful waiting isn’t the same thing as ignoring the cyst. An ovarian cyst has the potential to rupture, so follow our guidance about how often to have the cyst checked.
If you have an ovarian cyst and you suddenly start experiencing severe pain, vomiting, fever, or bloating, call us right away. Those could be signs that it has ruptured.
Medication
We may recommend that you take hormonal birth control to stabilize your hormone levels and temporarily stop ovulation. This can prevent other cysts from developing in your ovaries.
If you’re experiencing pain or other symptoms, we may also suggest taking medication such as an over-the-counter pain reliever.
Surgery
When an ovarian cyst grows larger, we may advise surgery to remove the cyst or, in some cases, the entire ovary. If you hope to become pregnant, we perform fertility-sparing surgery if it’s possible to do so.
At Virtuosa GYN, Dr. Crockett specializes in performing minimally invasive robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery using the state-of-the-art da Vinci surgical system.
Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery offers many benefits, including less bleeding, less pain, faster recovery time, and fewer post-surgery complications than traditional open surgery.
If you’ve been told you have an ovarian cyst or if you are experiencing pain, abnormal bleeding, bloating, or any other symptoms, schedule an appointment with our team at Virtuosa GYN right away. Your symptoms could be a sign of a serious medical condition.
To make an appointment, contact us today at our San Antonio, Texas, office.
