Ovarian cyst - lots of questions!

[Solly-44]

Me again! 😬

Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend x

Some of you may have seen my post yesterday about my FET being cancelled due to a large cyst on one of my ovaries.

I went to the appointment alone and was a bit thrown so didn’t ask anything useful!

The dr said they can take ‘a very long time to go away’ and has put me on the pill to prevent any further cysts developing. I’m being rescanned in a month to see where we go next.

Obviously I’ve been googling 🙈 and keep reading that anything over 5cm may need surgical removal, and can involve the removal of that ovary. Does anyone have experience of this? If so how soon after were you able to start your cycle? Was it removed by the fertility department or would it mean being put on the waiting list for gynaecology or another department from scratch? I can’t understand what causes them (she said mine is hemorrhagic if that makes a difference).

Sorry for the long and dry post! Just kicking myself for not asking anything xx

[Orla9298]

I hope this reassures you - I have haemorrhagic cysts quite often and they are always gone next cycle! What cycle day was your scan?xx

[Solly-44 in reply to Orla9298]

Thanks lovely! That does reassure me! It was day 2, I’d just started a forced bleed after Norethisterone because my cycle is so irregular so it was found at my baseline scan xx

[Orla9298 in reply to Solly-44]

I’ve had one at the start of a cycle too, postponed stims and it was gone the next month. My sister was the same with a cyst and going on the pill for 7 days made it go. I know any delays are just awful, but try not to be too worried and it’s for the best as it wouldn’t be the right cycle anyway xx

[Solly-44 in reply to Orla9298]

Oh that’s brilliant, thanks so much! I’ll be happy if it’s gone next month, just has visions of having to have it removed and huge delays 😬 xx

[recidwen in reply to Solly-44]

Same for me. I have had heamoreagic cysts trice, big too like 7cm. They go away on their own. Cx

[Solly-44 in reply to recidwen]

Ooh that’s good to know. Did they go the same month? Xx

[recidwen in reply to Solly-44]

I could start next round yeah. One hung around for two months I think but we went ahead because they checked my bloods and it wasn’t affecting my hormone levels.

[LizzieBW]

Hi Solly 🙂

Ugh that sounds like you've had a rotten time!! I can relate to attending fertility appointments, being told something & then feeling mad at myself afterwards for not asking more questions. It would be great if the consultants would say "take 5 to consult dr google & think if there's any questions you'd like to ask" 🤣

So! I have endometriosis & had quite a large ovarian endometrioma. Mine was removed at the time of excision surgery for other endometrial tissue as they considered it a hinderance to my planned, future IVF treatment. I was told that there is a big risk with surgery on the ovary/ovaries for obvious reasons & that 1 of the risks was permanent damage to ovarian reserve and possibility they'd need to remove that ovary. My surgeon then told me there was higher risk of bleeding heavily. The good news I have to share is that my surgery went well, I did bleed heavily but they successfully stopped it and it has had no significant impact on my ovarian reserve (as far as they can guage).

I had my surgery in my local hospital as opposed to my assisted fertility clinic hospital but luckily my initial consultant is based at the hospital where I had the surgery so it all felt like a fairly smooth process & the secretaries were all really patient & kind to me when I called with more questions. The process of the surgery delayed my journey by around 3-4 months only.

My ex-endometrial cyst might not be the same as yours but I think hemorrhagic does mean blood-filled, is that right? Hope I've been able to help even a little. Are you considering calling your fertility clinic again soon to ask a few more questions? Xx

[Solly-44 in reply to LizzieBW]

Hi Lizzie,

Thanks so much - that’s all super helpful! I know, that would be a brilliant way of appointments working 😂

Yep it does just mean blood filled so I imagine quite similar? I’m glad yours went as well as possible and wishing you all the luck with your cycle xx

Oh, and yes! I won’t get to speak to them before my next scan in a month but I’ll send them an email xx

[LizzieBW in reply to Solly-44]

That's great you're planning to send an email to get some answers asap 😁 Oh I forgot to say my surgery was also keyhole! Hopefully you won't need to think about any of that though, as you said in other replies hopefully it will shrink quickly on it's own. My period arrived today, gutted but I was stupid to even think we had a chance this cycle with only having sex once in the fertile window 🤦‍♀️ d'oh! We're focused on IVF but equally would love for miracles to happen before then. All the best, hope you can resume treatment asap xx

[Solly-44 in reply to LizzieBW]

Oh I’m sorry, and you’re not stupid - we haven’t used contraception for over 10 years and I still have the odd twinge of hope that it’ll happen naturally! Good luck lovely xx

[Baypony]

Hi Solly, 7 years ago we had been to the DR and been referred to the fertility clinic but not had any scans. So I didn’t know I had a cyst the size of a grapefruit which needed open surgery to remove (just like having a caesarian). To be honest it was awful, I was taken in as an emergency one morning with pain in my side and vomiting and they suspected burst appendix. There were lots of problems with my cyst and it’s size, it was a 3 hour op as they tried to save my tube and ovary. It took me 9 months to recover. Luckily it was not cancerous. We then resumed fertility treatment off and on and even though my ovary was still there nothing was happening with it. Eventually we decided to go abroad as we couldn’t get NHS funding and our clinic were terrible! I had a scan in preparation and discovered the cyst was back. It was 4.5cm. I went on the pill and it shrunk to 2cm. My (private) consultant wrote to my overseas clinic stating he was not happy to operate on it and in his opinion we could go ahead with the IVF. As we were private patients and willing to pay the overseas clinic agreed and I am now 21 weeks pregnant on our first transfer. The cyst is currently 4.5cm but is not causing any problems with the pregnancy. I have had a little pain from it but nothing else. It all depends on what size the cyst is, what type it is and where it is. I was just very unlucky! The long recovery was due to the open surgery and the stomach muscles having to grow back together after they had been cut. And the risk if hernia. My consultant says anything 8cm or less can be removed keyhole, as long as it’s not cancerous. Write a list of questions and speak to your clinic again to get the answers. You will be much better informed then. Good luck 🤞

[Solly-44 in reply to Baypony]

Oh wow, you’ve really been through the mill but so glad you got it sorted and huge congratulations on being 21 weeks!

Mine is exactly 8cm at the moment so hopefully will shrink and worse case scenario would only need key hole if it needed to be removed. They’ve got no concerns about it being cancerous so all good there. Just frustrated with the constant delays! Thanks for your reply - handy to be armed with all the possibilities when I speak to them xx

[Baypony in reply to Solly-44]

If yours can be removed keyhole the recovery will be so much quicker!

[Lavender96]

Hi Solly, I had a large cyst following my egg collection. I had a successful transfer (though unfortunately I miscarried), the cyst wasn’t picked up until my viability scan and I wasn’t put on any pills for it, but it was gone 4 weeks after that x

[Solly-44 in reply to Lavender96]

Thank you, good to hear the cyst went by itself. I’m really sorry about your loss though x

[Mazzath1]

The pill has always done the trick for me. I've had cancelled cycles due to cysts go back thr next month it's gone. Try not to worry xxx

[Solly-44 in reply to Mazzath1]

Thanks lovely, I really hope so 🤞xx

[Mazzath1]

Castor oil packs, apple cider and Epsom salt baths also good helping get rid of cysts. Xxx