Laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy removes a cyst from the ovary through keyhole incisions while keeping the ovary itself. It is used for cysts that persist, grow, cause pain or look complex on ultrasound, such as dermoid cysts, endometriomas and cystadenomas.
It relieves symptoms, provides a tissue diagnosis and preserves hormone production and fertility. Some healthy ovarian tissue is inevitably lost, which matters most with endometriomas, and new cysts can form later.
What Ovarian Cyst Removal (Laparoscopic Cystectomy) involves
Before surgery, transvaginal ultrasound, sometimes MRI, and blood markers such as CA-125 are used to estimate the chance of malignancy with scoring rules such as IOTA. If the cyst looks benign, a camera is placed through the navel and two or three 5 millimetre ports in the lower abdomen. The pelvis and upper abdomen are inspected and fluid washings taken. The surgeon cuts the thin ovarian surface over the cyst, finds the plane between cyst wall and ovary, and peels the cyst out by traction and counter-traction, trying not to burst it. Bleeding points in the ovarian bed are controlled with pinpoint bipolar energy or sutures, used sparingly to protect eggs. The cyst is placed in a retrieval bag, drained inside the bag and pulled out through a port. The specimen goes for histology.
Who is a good candidate for Ovarian Cyst Removal (Laparoscopic Cystectomy)?
Most simple cysts in women who still have periods go away within 2 to 3 cycles and need only a repeat scan.
- Cysts larger than about 5 to 7 centimetres that persist beyond 3 months
- Dermoid cysts, which do not resolve and can twist
- Endometriomas causing pain, or over about 4 centimetres before some fertility treatments
- Cysts with recurrent pain or previous torsion
- Benign appearance on imaging with normal or mildly raised markers
It is usually not the right choice if:
- Simple functional cysts under 5 centimetres without symptoms
- Cysts with features suspicious for cancer, which belong with a gynaecological oncologist and may need open staging surgery
- Postmenopausal women, in whom removing the whole ovary and tube is usually advised
- Small endometriomas in women with low ovarian reserve heading for IVF, where surgery can do more harm than good
- Sudden severe pain with vomiting suggests torsion or rupture and needs emergency care where you are
Technique options
- Stripping cystectomy: Standard for dermoids, cystadenomas and most endometriomas.
- Drainage and ablation or plasma energy: Sometimes for endometriomas when preserving reserve is the priority; higher recurrence.
- Oophorectomy: Removal of the ovary when it is destroyed, after menopause, or when malignancy cannot be excluded.
- Fertility-sparing staging: For borderline tumours in young women.
What happens during your treatment
The operation takes 45 to 90 minutes under general anaesthesia and is a day case or one night. Expect bloating, shoulder tip pain from the gas for 1 to 2 days, and mild period-like cramps. You can eat and walk within hours.
Preparing for your trip
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
Recovery and results
Most women resume light activity within a week and work in 1 to 2 weeks; gym and heavy lifting after 3 to 4 weeks. Histology takes about a week and should be seen before you consider the matter closed. After endometrioma surgery, hormonal suppression lowers recurrence if you are not trying to conceive; if you are, ask for an AMH test before and 3 months after surgery to understand your reserve.
- Back to everyday activity: 1 to 2 weeks
- When results show: Pain relief within days; histology in 1 week
- How long they last: Recurrence depends on cyst type
Safety, risks and revision policy
Keyhole cystectomy is low risk, with specific points to weigh around fertility.
- Reduced ovarian reserve, especially after removing endometriomas on both sides
- Cyst rupture during removal; dermoid contents can irritate the abdomen and an unexpected cancer could be upstaged
- Bleeding that makes removal of the ovary necessary, uncommon
- Injury to bowel, bladder, ureter or vessels, rare
- Adhesions and recurrence of the cyst
- Unexpected malignancy on histology requiring further surgery
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 Ovarian Cyst Removal (Laparoscopic Cystectomy) in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Ovarian Cyst Removal (Laparoscopic Cystectomy), because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- Cyst size, type and whether both sides are involved
- Added treatment of endometriosis elsewhere
- Frozen section pathology during surgery
- Pre-operative MRI and tumour markers
- Length of stay
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my ovary?
The plan is to keep it. Removal is needed in a small minority because of bleeding, a destroyed ovary or suspicious findings; this is covered in your consent.
Should I freeze eggs first?
Worth discussing if you have endometriomas on both sides, low AMH or previous ovarian surgery and want children later.
Can cysts come back?
Dermoids rarely do on the same side. Endometriomas return in roughly 1 in 4 within five years without hormonal treatment.