Ovarian Cysts after Menopause

Ovarian cysts after menopause are not functional cysts and there are gynecologists who will perform a thorough evaluation, because women with menopause should not have ovarian cysts. This is not an unusual condition in women, but for a woman it is extremely important that she goes and has this checked by a gynecologist. Ovarian cysts after menopause must be monitored to make sure that they are not cancerous.

Ovarian cysts can cause back pain, constipation, abdominal pain and bloating. Any woman that is experiencing the mentioned symptoms should consult a doctor or health care specialist. Sores prior to menopause can clear within a few months when the woman ovulates, and what will be left is just a sac containing fluid that is attached to the woman’s ovary.

During the woman’s reproductive cycle, that fluid in the sac will drain and after that the ovary will become normal again. Ovarian cysts after menopause will not vanish in the same manner, because the reproductive cycle is not present, and due to this, it is impossible to drain the fluids.

Patients with Ovarian cysts after menopause should get themselves examined, monthly or once in three months, by a doctor. If he finds that there is no change in the condition of the cysts, despite the treatment, he may discuss surgery with you.

One line of treatment

Hormone therapy is usually given to the patient who has ovary cysts. This treatment will help dissolve the cysts. If this fails, surgery will be discussed. A few doctors’ surmise that a cyst on an ovary, after a woman experiences menopause, has no relation to the menstrual cycles. If your gynecologist expects a fluid mass, testing will be done and the specialist will be able to determine by the look of the fluid mass if there is something to worry about or not.

Sonograms, are used for women who have ovarian cysts after menopause, to enable the gynecologist to make a decision, on what treatment he should prescribe. There is a blood test that can also tell if there are any cancerous cells. This way the diagnosis and the treatment can be narrowed down.

Cysts should not occur after menopause, but since they do, doctors will know exactly the line of treatment to take after looking at the fluid mass on the sonogram. For an older woman, the results of her blood test, can enable a health care specialist to determine if a surgery is necessary to have the ovary removed, especially if the fluid mass can become a health risk.

Having cysts removed does not necessarily mean that they are cancerous, but just a precaution against cancer. Although ovarian cancer is uncommon in women, women with ovarian cysts after menopause between the ages of 50 and 70 have a higher chance of cancer compared to women, years younger. Women who have cysts in their childbearing years are generally harmless. In addition, they have enough treatment options compared to women who have cysts after menopause.

If the cysts are cancerous, and if detected early, women can have a greater chance of living through the disease. It is important to remember that, if a woman is experiencing any symptoms mentioned earlier, she should contact a gynecologist immediately.

Many doctors will suggest removing the cyst to help reduce cancer risks in women undergoing menopause. Laparoscopy is a procedure used by surgeons’. Here, a tiny incision is made in the patient’s abdomen to enable the surgeon to remove the infected ovary.

The incision is not large, and on many occasions women that undergo surgery can be released the very same day. However, if the infected mass is larger, then the surgeon will need to make a reasonably larger incision to get inside the abdomen. Patients will have to stay overnight, if needed, longer. The fluid mass that is removed will be tested and this will determine if it was cancerous, or not.

The great thing about having the ovary or ovaries removed during the patient’s menopause is that there is no risk of ovarian cancer -if nothing of the ovary is left. It can be hard to detect ovarian cancer and a few women are glad that they do not have to be concerned about sores after menopause.