Ovarian Cyst Surgery - Is It Necessary?

An ovarian cyst is a growth or swelling on or inside the ovary. It may be solid or filled with fluid. Many women may experience no symptoms when they have an ovarian cyst, in particularly if it is small. Certain cysts may grow large and causes the abdomen to swell. Depending on where the cyst is and its size, it may cause weight gain, abnormal bleeding and painful menstrual periods, pain or pressure in the abdomen or during sex, breast tenderness or vomiting. Other symptoms may include sudden severe abdominal pain, faintness, dizziness or rapid breathing. So, when is an ovarian cyst surgery necessary?
If your cyst is discovered during pregnancy and is causing you many symptoms and too much discomfort, or is large in size, it may need to be removed. Cares must be taken to protect the baby and other reproductive organs during the operation. You may be offered a laparoscopy at first to get a better view of the cyst. A laparoscopy allows the surgeon to look at the outside of the womb and at ovaries and fallopian tubes. It normally involves making two small cuts, one in the lower abdomen and the other near the navel. Air is then passed into the pelvic cavity to lift the abdominal wall away from the internal organs, and a small viewing instrument, called the laparoscope, is inserted through one of the insertion. An instrument used to manipulate the pelvic organs is inserted through the other small cut. This operation usually takes about 30 minutes and is normally done in the hospital. Depending on what is found, a technique called laparoscopy fenestration may follow. Using the same small cuts as an ordinary laparoscopy, the cyst is removed by draining its content. It will take about a week for the wound to heal.
If there are concerns that the cyst may burst and spill its content during removal, you may be advised to have a laparotomy done instead. This is a more complicated ovarian cyst surgery which involves making a much larger cut across the top of the pubic hairline. This surgery gives the surgeon better access to the cyst and the whole cyst can easily be removed then.
Whether the surgeon removes anything else depends largely on your age, whether he or she believes in keeping women's organs intact and on what you have consented to before the operation. If you are under forty and may want to have children, it is recommended that you leave the ovary intact. If you are over forty, the risk of cancer increases and as a preventive measure, your surgeon may recommend removing one ovary ("oophorectomy" surgery) or both ("bilateral oophorectomy" surgery) along with the fallopian tubes ("salpingectomy" surgery) and your womb ("hysterectomy" surgery). It is important to remember that removing both ovaries will cause premature menopause, even if you have not reach menopause. Even after menopause, the ovaries continue to produce small amounts of hormones that influence your sexual health. A hysterectomy is a major surgery and it involves a long recovery period afterwards. Hence, it is not surprising that most women are reluctant to undergo such an operation especially to prevent something which may never happen.
Before discussing ovarian cyst surgery with your doctor, it is worth seeking a second and even third medical opinion on the matter. It is advisable to explore other alternative treatments especially the non-surgical ones. If you're finished for good with all the pain and discomfort of ovarian cysts and you want to avoid surgery, then this is the honest and effective ovarian cyst solution that you have been searching for - http://www.ovariancystscures.com

ZIFT or GIFT?

Zygote intrafallopian transfer, or ZIFT, is an infertility treatment method whereby an egg is fertilized outside of the body and then transferred into the fallopian tubes of a woman. ZIFT is considered an advanced infertility treatment. Normally, you will try other forms of treatment before you consider a ZIFT treatment.
Many doctors recommend ZIFT to patients who have problems ovulating. The fallopian tubes must be open for this method to be utilized. ZIFT may also be considered if the male partner has a low sperm count. If the sperm count is extremely low, you may have better luck with ICSI, Intracytoplasmic sperm injection. In ICSI, the sperm is injected directly into the egg. ICSI is sometimes used in conjunction with ZIFT.
Another similar treatment is called GIFT. GIFT refers to gamete intrafallopian transfer. In this method, the egg is not fertilized outside of the body. The sperm is injected into the fallopian tube where it will hopefully fertilize an egg. GIFT is usually used for women who have problems ovulating. Therefore, you will be given fertility drugs and you will be closely monitored by your infertility specialist to determine when your eggs or mature. Then the eggs will be collected with a small needle, mixed with your partner's sperm and then immediately injected into your fallopian tubes. Extra eggs can be fertilized in vitro and these embryos can be frozen for future attempts.
Fertility drugs are also used in the ZIFT procedure. Eggs are retrieved in the same manner as the GIFT treatment. They are mixed with sperm outside of the body and monitored for fertilization. Fertilized eggs are then transplanted into the fallopian tubes where they will hopefully move to the uterus and implant at the proper stage of development.
In Vitro Fertilization, IVF, is used more often than GIFT or ZIFT. In an IVF treatment, your eggs will be retrieved after a round of fertility drugs. Then, your eggs will be combined with your partner's sperm in the laboratory. This is where your eggs will be monitored for about three to five days. At the proper stage, the fertilized eggs will be injected into your uterus for implantation. IVF accounts for almost all of all assisted pregnancies, partly because fallopian tubes do not have to be open for this procedure.
Talk to your infertility specialist about what procedures will best fit your situation and your goals. You may end up trying a few different procedures before you find which one is right for you. Make sure that you ask plenty of questions so that you feel comfortable about each step that you take towards building your family.
About the Author: Dr. Eric Daiter, the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Eric Daiter please visit http://www.drericdaitermd.com

Anovulation and Infertility

Many women have abnormal or irregular periods. If infertility becomes an issue, then these irregular periods may be a sign that you are not ovulating normally. If you are not ovulating at all, it is referred to as anovulation.
Many things can affect your ovulation ability. Certain diseases such as diabetes and liver disease can stop you from ovulating. There are also a number of glandular disorders that can halt ovulation. There may be adhesions or other complications with the ovaries themselves. Whatever the reason, it is important to work closely with an infertility specialist to rule out certain disorders before continuing with hormonal treatments for anovulation.
Fertility drugs such as clomid are fairly effective in stimulating ovulation. The purpose of fertility drugs like clomid is to block the effects of estrogen in the body. When estrogen is blocked, it simulates the natural drop in estrogen that should be occurring, but may not be, in your body. When estrogen drops, your body produces luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). These hormones stimulate the ovaries into ovulating.
Multiple ovulations are common and sometimes multiple births can be expected. Your doctor will monitor the effects of the fertility drugs and adjust the dosage to best suit your needs. Generally, you will start out low and increase over six months until you become pregnant. Different medications may be prescribed if the first one does not seem to be effective.
Some fertility drugs stimulate the ovaries and others actually mature the egg so that it can be released. When given in combination with each other, these can be very effective. Most fertility drugs are administered by injection, sometimes daily, and some are taken orally. Your infertility doctor will take regular blood tests and perform many ultrasounds to monitor your egg development.
Some problems that can occur include bloating and fatigue, irritability and headaches. Sometimes infertility drugs can alter cervical mucus and actually make it a hostile environment for sperm. In this case, artificial insemination can be used to bypass the cervix and fertilize the egg in utero. Intrauterine Insemination, IUI, is the most common form of artificial insemination. This is where sperm is introduced directly into the uterine cavity or fallopian tubes, bypassing any cervical problems that may be present.
In the case of polycystic ovary syndrome, the body produces too much testosterone and develops an insulin resistance. This causes ovulation not to happen. Your doctor may provide fertility drugs to combat these effects and start ovulation again.
The goal of using fertility drugs to combat anovulation is to get your cycle back on track and get ovulation started. Talk to your infertility specialist about what options may be available to you.
About the Author: Dr. Eric Daiter MD, the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC.