Forum Baby wish

Does a large cyst always need to be removed?

18 replies

RoosGuest ·
Hi ladies, has anyone here had a large cyst on the ovary that didn't need to be removed? Did it get smaller on its own and what kind of cyst was it? By large I mean 7 cm or more.

A large one was found in me and I'll hear more soon. I'm very nervous because they've already let me know that given the size, it might need to be removed. I hope it will shrink or that there's an alternative to surgery. If that's not the case, then so be it. Maybe there are more people with experience??

Thanks in advance.

Replies

  1. Unactivated profile. Cannot delete profile. #2

    My last cyst was almost 9 cm at its biggest. After 4 weeks, it had shrunk to almost 3 cm, and on Tuesday I hope they see that it's completely gone. It also depends on the type, what and how they want to approach it. With me, it was safe to give my body the chance to clear it up itself, because they suspect it was just a follicle that didn't break down properly after that cycle. Some cysts can cause big problems in the long term, and I'd gladly have those removed (although with this one I did think a few times, bring it on. I was pretty fed up with the pain).

  2. Roos started this #3

    Oh, that's good news! Does such a thing not prevent the chance of pregnancy?
    We're trying for our first baby but pregnancy just doesn't happen. I wonder if it's because of the cyst. But I'll get some clarity on that soon. Hopefully it'll also get smaller for me.

  3. Unactivated profile. Cannot delete profile. #4

    A cyst can sometimes hinder the growth of an egg. Just keep in mind, it can. For me, it wasn't an issue though; despite that, my last IUI still resulted in 2 beautiful, usable follicles.

  4. Roos started this #5

    Yeah, I think so too—it can sometimes prevent pregnancy. May I ask why you're doing IUI? Has a reason been found for why it's not working naturally? And how long did it take before you started that process? Hopefully, it won't be long before you're pregnant. Pff, what a hassle, right?

  5. Unactivated profile. Cannot delete profile. #6

    We haven't found any cause yet. Everything is going according to the book, but we were hoping to be pregnant by now. After 1.5 years of trying, we reached out because I have a condition that can make things difficult. It's now been 2 years and 7 months since we stopped the pill. At first, it was mostly testing and examinations, and since this year we've been actively involved in the Fertility Clinic. We've now completed 3 IUI treatments and 1 break month. Next round, I'm allowed to change medication, and hopefully, it will work out. But before you can start IUI, you have to wait for another miserable, painful test where they use contrast fluid to check if your fallopian tubes are open. If not, it's IVF/ICSI anyway. A tough journey, lots of injections and poking around. But so far, every step has been worth it.

  6. Roos started this #7

    Wow, that’s quite intense, huh. I did read that an HSG (I think that’s what it’s called) can be really painful. A friend of mine is finally pregnant through IVF. It’s been a pretty tough journey, and honestly, I’m not sure if I want or can go that far. My age plays a role too. Almost 34, so it’s quite a factor. I hope they don’t keep us waiting too long... If it doesn’t work out and we have to start a treatment cycle, you’re a year older in no time.
    It seems so frustrating when you have to wait so long and they can’t find a cause. We’ve been off the pill for 7 months now, but I’ve been referred to a gynecologist due to abdominal pain. Everyone around me seems to be pregnant, and I feel like it might still take a while for us. With my friend, the cause definitely isn’t there. It’s probably due to that cyst and God knows what else they might find... I probably need an MRI scan too. I’ll hear more next week about what they found with me.

  7. Unactivated profile. Cannot delete profile. #8

    Exciting, right? Yeah, an HSG can be quite painful. But luckily the pain ends quickly once the balloon is deflated; the pain subsides very fast. I brought a little cuddly toy to squeeze, which worked really well.
    I'm now 36 weeks, and they're still giving us plenty of chances. So at 34 weeks, you're still early in the medical merry-go-round. Hopefully, they don't find anything serious with you, and you can start soon...

  8. Roos started this #9

    Oh my, but you will have your luck one day! And the more you'll appreciate it when you bring such a little healthy baby into the world..

    Suppose they remove the cyst and find no other causes. Or it can stay there and they find nothing else. Then I think they'll let us try again first. Because in principle, there's a year to wait. Maybe the cyst alone isn't a reason to start an IUI. But that will depend on a lot of factors. What kind is it, where is it on the ovary, etc. Also, they supposedly saw some free fluid in me. That can also cause things not to work out. Blood tests were good though.. Pff, unfortunately, I can't do anything more than wait.

    Do you know if there's a waiting list for fertility treatments? Or maybe this varies by location..

  9. Moedertjuh #10

    I found out from an ultrasound after a missed period that I had a cyst on each ovary. I don't remember exactly how big they were anymore. But at least 4 weeks after my missed period, I definitely had an ovulation (I think they were already gone by then), and I got pregnant that cycle. On my first ultrasound, my doctor didn't see any cysts anymore.

  10. Unactivated profile. Cannot delete profile. #11

    @ Roos. I don't think there's really a waiting list for the treatments, at least not for IUI. But it could indeed be that if they don't find a cause and assess your chances as high, they might suggest you try at home for about six months first. It's a complicated calculation, that chance assessment, so there's really nothing I can say from here. The best thing you can do for yourself right now is to be very kind to yourself, and ask these questions at your next appointment. That gave me a lot of reassurance once I knew what the plan would be for us.

  11. Roos started this #12

    Thanks, girls. Hope it'll be okay. Wonder if they'll have that "risk calculation" ready for me next week, or if I'll need another appointment for that. All in all, it takes quite a bit of time with all the tests. But it's nice that they can do so much with treatments nowadays. Back in the day, you'd end up childless much faster if something went wrong. Staying positive is indeed a good goal...

  12. Unactivated profile. Cannot delete profile. #13

    @Roos. Staying positive is one thing, having patience is another. We started at the hospital last May, and only went back for IUI 4 months ago. I did sigh more than once that they could have told me that earlier. It's all worth it though, but you really need a long-term perspective. I still remember very well how I felt when we had all the dots on the i's and I was allowed to go home with the first medication. Super hyper bouncy happy, a bit like Piglet from Winnie the Pooh Then it felt like a real chance for the first time, and you don't want to miss that just because everything works a bit slower at the hospital than you expected

  13. Roos started this #14

    @ Drakenmama: why did it take so long before you could start with IUI? Pff, I understand that's really frustrating.

  14. Unactivated profile. Cannot delete profile. #15

    @Roos. For us, it took a really long time for several reasons. First of all, all my doctors had to give the green light (and there are 'only' 8 of them, so that took a bit). Plus, my partner had a nasty fall last September, so things were also at a standstill then. Very frustrating, but really situations where you can't change anything. But even without these exceptional circumstances, such a process is agonizingly long, especially when you really want to start right away.

  15. Roos started this #16

    Wow, how much bad luck can you have. Well, good luck, girl! The one who persists wins

  16. Unactivated profile. Cannot delete profile. #17

    Wishing you lots of success too Hope the next round is the lucky one

  17. Anonymous Guest #18

    Ok, I had a big cyst on my ovary during pregnancy. Unfortunately, it grew along with the baby, which could have become dangerous for both me and the baby. Luckily, it hadn't twisted yet. The surgery was successful with just three small incisions instead of a full C-section-like operation. They were also able to preserve my ovaries and fallopian tubes, which they didn't know beforehand. In the end, I had another baby and hope to have more.

  18. John Guest #19

    Cysts on or around the ovaries are quite common and are usually benign. They’re typically fluid-filled sacs, but they can also be solid. Many women don’t feel anything and don’t even know they have them. Most cysts don’t need to be treated. If symptoms do occur, they usually involve pelvic pain, pain during sex, and irregular periods or amenorrhea.

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