Ovarian cystectomy and oophorectomy

Ovarian cystectomy and oophorectomy

Ovarian cystectomy and oophorectomy

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🗺️ Anatomy - Know Your Globes

  • Location: Ovaries reside in the ovarian fossa on the lateral pelvic wall.
  • Key Ligaments:
    • Suspensory (IP) Ligament: Connects ovary to pelvic wall. Contains the ovarian artery, vein, nerves, and lymphatics.
    • Ovarian Ligament: Connects ovary to the uterus.
  • Blood Supply:
    • Artery: Ovarian artery (from abdominal aorta).
    • Vein: Right ovarian vein → IVC; Left ovarian vein → Left renal vein.

Female Pelvic Anatomy: Ovaries, Ligaments, and Ureter

"Water under the bridge": The ureter passes under the ovarian vessels at the pelvic brim. It is at high risk of injury during oophorectomy when clamping the IP ligament.

🧐 Clinical manifestations - Cystic Conundrums

  • Asymptomatic: Most common; often an incidental finding on imaging.
  • Symptomatic (Non-acute):
    • Dull, aching pelvic pain or pressure.
    • Bloating, early satiety, dyspareunia.
    • Menstrual irregularities (e.g., from hormone-producing cysts).
  • Acute Complications (Surgical Emergencies):
    • Torsion: Sudden, severe unilateral pain, nausea/vomiting.
    • Rupture: Abrupt pain onset, potential peritoneal signs.
    • Hemorrhage: Into cyst or peritoneum, may cause hypovolemia.

⭐ Ovarian torsion is a "don't miss" diagnosis. Risk ↑ with cysts >5 cm. Doppler US may show decreased or absent blood flow (whirlpool sign).

🧐 Diagnosis - Peeking at Pelvis

  • Initial Imaging: Transvaginal Ultrasound (TVUS) is the primary modality to characterize adnexal masses.
    • Benign Features: Simple, unilocular, thin-walled, anechoic, no solid components, typically <10 cm.
    • Suspicious Features: Complex (solid & cystic), thick septations (>3 mm), papillary projections, solid nodules, increased vascularity on Doppler, ascites.

Transvaginal US of complex ovarian cyst features

  • Tumor Markers: Used adjunctively, not for screening.
    • CA-125: Elevated in epithelial ovarian cancer.
    • Germ Cell Tumors: Consider AFP, β-hCG, LDH in younger patients.

⭐ CA-125 is most useful in postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women, it's non-specific and can be elevated by endometriosis, fibroids, or PID.

✂️ Management - Snip or Spare?

  • Ovarian Cystectomy (Spare):

    • "Shells out" the cyst, preserving ovarian tissue.
    • Goal: Maintain fertility & hormonal function.
    • Indicated for: Benign-appearing cysts (e.g., dermoid, endometrioma) in premenopausal women.
  • Salpingo-oophorectomy (Snip):

    • Removal of ovary and fallopian tube.
    • Indicated for: High suspicion of malignancy, most masses in postmenopausal women, or necrotic ovary post-torsion.

Intraoperative Frozen Section: Crucial for suspicious masses. If malignancy is found, the procedure may be staged to a full gynecologic cancer surgery (e.g., hysterectomy, BSO, lymphadenectomy).

Types of Oophorectomy Procedures

⚠️ Complications - Post-Op Pitfalls

  • Hemorrhage: From the ovarian pedicle (infundibulopelvic or utero-ovarian ligament).
  • Adjacent Organ Injury: High risk to the ureter, which runs near the infundibulopelvic ligament; also bladder, bowel.
  • ↓ Ovarian Reserve: Inadvertent removal of healthy tissue during cystectomy, impacting fertility.
  • Surgical Menopause: Abrupt onset with bilateral oophorectomy (BSO) in premenopausal women.
  • Adhesions: Can cause chronic pain or bowel obstruction.

Ovarian Remnant Syndrome (ORS): Presents as cyclical pelvic pain post-BSO. Diagnosed via imaging and labs (↓FSH, ↑estradiol) confirming functional remnant tissue.

⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • Cystectomy is the standard for premenopausal women to preserve fertility and ovarian function, especially for benign-appearing cysts.
  • Oophorectomy is indicated for high suspicion of malignancy, complex masses in postmenopausal women, or a non-viable torsed ovary.
  • Laparoscopy is the preferred surgical approach over laparotomy due to lower morbidity.
  • Ovarian torsion is a surgical emergency requiring prompt detorsion; cystectomy or oophorectomy is performed based on ovarian viability.
  • Bilateral oophorectomy induces surgical menopause; counsel on and consider hormone replacement therapy.

Practice Questions: Ovarian cystectomy and oophorectomy

Test your understanding with these related questions

A 33-year-old woman comes to the emergency department because of a 1-hour history of severe pelvic pain and nausea. She was diagnosed with a follicular cyst in the left ovary 3 months ago. The cyst was found incidentally during a fertility evaluation. A pelvic ultrasound with Doppler flow shows an enlarged, edematous left ovary with no blood flow. Laparoscopic evaluation shows necrosis of the left ovary, and a left oophorectomy is performed. During the procedure, blunt dissection of the left infundibulopelvic ligament is performed. Which of the following structures is most at risk of injury during this step of the surgery?

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Flashcards: Ovarian cystectomy and oophorectomy

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Peripheral Arterial Disease is most commonly caused by occlusion of the _____

TAP TO REVEAL ANSWER

Peripheral Arterial Disease is most commonly caused by occlusion of the _____

popliteal artery

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