Oophorectomy (Removal of the Ovaries)

Oophorectomy is the removal of one ovary (unilateral) or both (bilateral). The fallopian tube is normally taken with it, in which case the operation is called salpingo-oophorectomy. It is nearly always done by keyhole surgery.

It treats ovarian cysts or masses that cannot be safely shelled out, twisted ovaries that cannot be saved, and severe endometriosis, and it cuts the risk of ovarian cancer by more than 80 percent in women with BRCA gene changes. Removing both ovaries before the natural menopause causes an abrupt surgical menopause, with consequences for bone, heart and sexual health that must be weighed and, where safe, treated with hormone replacement.

What Oophorectomy (Removal of the Ovaries) involves

Assessment includes pelvic ultrasound, often MRI, and tumour markers such as CA-125, combined into a risk estimate for malignancy. If cancer is suspected, the operation should be done by a gynaecological oncologist. Under general anaesthetic a laparoscope is inserted at the navel with 2 or 3 further small ports. The pelvis and upper abdomen are inspected and fluid washings are taken. The surgeon identifies the ureter, seals and divides the ovarian blood supply and the attachment to the womb, and places the ovary and tube in a bag so that any cyst fluid does not spill. The bag is removed through the navel or the vagina. In risk-reducing surgery the entire tube and ovary are sent for a detailed sectioning protocol to look for hidden early cancer.

Who is a good candidate for Oophorectomy (Removal of the Ovaries)?

The decision depends strongly on your age, menopausal status and cancer risk.

• Ovarian masses with suspicious features, or large or persistent cysts after the menopause
• Ovarian torsion with a non-viable ovary
• BRCA1 carriers from about 35 to 40 and BRCA2 carriers from about 40 to 45, once their family is complete
• Severe endometriosis or chronic pelvic pain that has not responded to conservative surgery and medication
• Hormone receptor positive breast cancer in premenopausal women, in selected cases

It is usually not the right choice if:

• Simple benign cysts in premenopausal women, which are usually watched or removed while sparing the ovary
• Women at average risk having a hysterectomy before the menopause, in whom keeping the ovaries is generally advised
• Anyone who has not completed their family, unless medically unavoidable, in which case fertility preservation is discussed first
• Removal for premenstrual symptoms or pain without a trial of reversible ovarian suppression

الخيارات التقنية

• Laparoscopic salpingo-oophorectomy: The standard approach for benign disease and risk reduction.
• Robotic-assisted surgery: An option with obesity or dense adhesions.
• Open surgery (laparotomy): For very large masses or suspected cancer, to allow staging and intact removal.
• Ovarian cystectomy: Removes only the cyst and keeps the ovary; preferred in younger women when the cyst looks benign.
• Risk-reducing early salpingectomy with delayed oophorectomy: Removing the tubes first and the ovaries later; still under study and not yet standard.

ماذا يحدث خلال علاجك

Keyhole surgery takes 45 to 90 minutes under general anaesthetic. Most women go home the same day or after one night. Expect bloating and shoulder-tip discomfort for a day or two from the gas.

الإعداد لرحلتك

Plan for 7 to 10 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.

• Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
• Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
• Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
• Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly

التعافي والنتائج

Most women are back to light activities in a week and to work in 1 to 2 weeks, with full recovery by 4 weeks. After open surgery allow 4 to 6 weeks. If both ovaries are removed before the menopause, hot flushes, night sweats, sleep and mood changes and vaginal dryness can start within days. Hormone replacement until the natural age of menopause is recommended for most women without a personal history of breast cancer, and it does not cancel out the benefit for BRCA carriers. Pathology is ready in 1 to 2 weeks.

• Back to everyday activity: 1 to 2 weeks
• When results show: Pathology in 1 to 2 weeks
• How long they last: Permanent

سياسة السلامة والمخاطر والتنقيح

Surgical risks are low. The hormonal consequences deserve more thought than the operation itself.

• Bleeding, infection, or injury to the bowel, bladder, ureter or blood vessels, in fewer than 1 in 100
• Conversion to open surgery
• Surgical menopause, with increased long-term risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and possibly cognitive decline if oestrogen is not replaced
• Reduced libido and vaginal dryness
• Ovarian remnant syndrome, where a fragment left behind causes pain or cysts
• An unexpected finding of cancer needing further surgery or chemotherapy
• A small remaining risk of primary peritoneal cancer in BRCA carriers

Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.

Cost of Oophorectomy (Removal of the Ovaries) in Türkiye

Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Oophorectomy (Removal of the Ovaries), because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:

• One side or both, and whether hysterectomy is combined
• Laparoscopic, robotic or open approach
• Frozen section during surgery and extended pathology protocols
• Imaging and tumour markers beforehand
• Hospital nights

Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

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