I am breaking away from our normal DIY and home related content to share a personal story today. I am sharing the story of having a dermoid ovarian cyst removed during pregnancy to try to help others who might be facing a similar situation. Whether you have an ovarian cyst, need a appendectomy during pregnancy, or just are curious, I hope that this helps!
I want to go ahead and note that I am NOT a doctor or a medical professional at all. This is just my experience. Please consult doctor before making any medical decisions.
My Experience Having a Dermoid Ovarian Cyst Removed During Pregnancy
Ovarian Cyst Symptoms
I actually had no symptoms with my dermoid ovarian cyst. Some people experience swelling, pain, or bleeding, but I had none of these. So, how did I know that I had a cyst?
Ovarian Cyst Diagnosis
My OB/GYN identified a potential ovarian cyst during a routine ultrasound. I was at her office because I was 8 weeks pregnant and her initial dating scan indicated that my ovary was about 3 times the normal size - about 6cm in diameter. She scheduled me for a follow up ultrasound the next week with the maternal fetal medicine office, which has much more sophisticated scanning equipment.
At this point, I was kind of confused. I truly didn't understand the severity of what was happening and didn't write down enough of the medical words that she said to be able to google it properly.
The next week, I had my follow up ultra sound. When the tech cut on the machine and began my scan, the first thing she said was "Woah. That is huge." This is the first indication that I got that there was something really wrong. She measured the cyst and the ovary and sent those measurements to my OB/GYN to diagnose.
A few days later, my doctor called me to tell me that I definitely had a cyst. She suspected (due to the scan revealing that it was mostly liquid-filled with one solid pocket at the bottom) that it was dermoid cyst but couldn't be sure until they got it out. Her recommendation was to remove it at fifteen weeks pregnancy.
WARNING: PHOTOS OF ORGANS BELOW
I returned for more scans at 14 weeks (after scheduling the surgery) (4 weeks after my initial scans) and the cyst had grown to 11 centimeters in diameter. So, in 4 weeks, it essentially doubled. To almost 4.5 inches across. That's bigger than an orange, about the length of an iPhone 5s. That's INSANE.
Here's a picture of what my normal ovary looked like (the small white organ on the right next to my uterus):
And here's what my ovary with the cyst looked like, taken at the same zoom level:
Ovarian Cyst Treatment and Removal
I had two choices for dealing with my dermoid cyst:
- Have it removed via laparoscopic surgery around 15 weeks gestation. This was the safest window for having it removed because I would be past the first trimester (and therefore the fetus would be more likely to survive general anesthesia and the general trauma of surgery) but my uterus would still be small enough that it would not be in the surgeon's way during the procedure.
- Wait and have it removed after the pregnancy. This of course would eliminate the chance of there being a side effect from the surgery to the baby (including general anesthesia, the doctor slipping and slicing the uterus, or just fetal demise due to the stress of the procedure). But, it also ran the risk that the cyst could continue to grow and burst. If it burst, it would be very painful, but it would also fill my abdomen with whatever liquids or solids were inside the cyst. I'd have to have emergency surgery - and if I was over 18 weeks pregnant they'd have to do a full c-section style cut. Once in the third trimester, they'd have to do a vertical cut down the center of my body and perhaps c-section the baby early, as well.
This is going to sound dramatic, but this was the hardest decision that I have ever had to make in my life. I did not want to get surgery. I cried about it, a lot; I got second opinions; I doubted myself, my doctor, the internet. It felt like getting the surgery was first of all really scary because I had never had surgery before, potentially unnecessary since I felt no pain or symptoms, and really risky to this poor fetus/baby that was just along for the ride.
So, how did I decide in the end? It was actually a combination of two things. Multiple doctors said it had to come out one way or the other eventually. The fact that my choices were to get the surgery now or six to eight weeks postpartum made a big impact. I wasn't getting out of this either way.
The idea of recovering from surgery with an 8 week old baby at home sounded horrible. I wanted to be able to focus on me now and the baby once he was here. Secondly, I was worried about worrying. If I didn't have the surgery, I would continue to obsess over the cyst. Every twinge would be my cyst twisting and preparing to burst.
In the end, I decided to schedule the surgery for May 2nd, when I was 15 weeks pregnant, and the day before my 29th birthday.
Laparoscopic Surgery During Pregnancy
My surgery was scheduled for 7am, which meant that we had to be at the hospital at 5:30am! I was prepped by a series of nurses before the nurse anesthetist came in and began my pain killer drip. They assured that everything was pregnancy-safe.
I was trying to be silly and joke with all of the staff, but I was really, really scared. As it got to be time to be rolled back, I started to cry because I felt so very helpless. The last thing I remember is rolling back into the surgical room and taking deep breaths from a face mask. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the recovery room.
Note: I was being silly (on drugs) and making this face during recovery when people asked me if I was ok. It was a joke but is also somehow the only photo we got of me in the recovery room since every time Sean went to take a picture, I stuck out my tongue like this. Always being hilarious!
The surgery took about an hour and in the end they had to remove my entire ovary and tube. The cyst was inside the ovary and not attached to the outside - there was nothing to separate it from. The tube was swollen and unsaveable.
As you can see here, it was basically a large hairball with some fatty deposits surrounded by liquid inside the ovary.
Recovery from Laparoscopic Surgery During Pregnancy
I woke up in the recovery room and was pretty groggy. Sean might have called me... aggressive. He says he was so worried about me and they let him back to see me and I just gave him a really mean look. I also might have slightly raised my voice at the poor OB/GYN resident and said "I can't believe that you can cut me open and remove my ovary out my belly button but you can't tell me the f***ing sex of my baby."
Sorry about that, I blame it on the drugs.
The (very nice) resident used the ultrasound machine to confirm that the fetus/baby still had a heart beat and looked good. He did, and he was. That was a major relief, I am sure for Sean especially since I was honestly kind of out in space, but it made me feel better once I was back to being aware of what was going on 🙂
After the surgery, I was able to stand up pretty quickly. Also, I had to prove to them that I could pee before I was allowed to leave. I did have a burning sensation and it turns out that was because I had a catheter put in and taken out all while under anesthesia.
After about an hour of being awake, Sean was able to go get the car. I was wheeled out and they let him take me away. I basically felt very drunk and sleepy but zero pain.
That afternoon, I essentially slept on the couch. I was on an oxycontin regimen (apparently oxy is pregnancy safe but Advil isn't! Silly doctors) and stayed pretty drowsy. I think that I might have eaten some plain pasta but I honestly have no recollection.
The next day was Thursday. Sean worked from home that day (he was off the day of my surgery) and was my nurse/babysitter. It was also my birthday! A bit different from my 21st, but at least I wasn't at work!
I really slept for most of the day, but we did take two walks around our neighborhood. The doctor said that walking and moving would help with the gas in my body. I was lucky that I didn't really feel like I had much gas in me.
I had some trouble getting up off the couch because of abdominal pain (only when I made the crunching motion of sitting up) and was glad to have Sean to pull me up.
On Friday, the 3rd day after my surgery, I felt much more awake but still tired. I mostly watched TV and ate sandwiches.
I went back to work on Monday, 5 days after my surgery. Luckily, I am able to work remotely from home. So I worked from the couch, but I was completely off of the oxy and honestly could have gone to the office if I needed to. If I had a physical job, I would have needed more time, but desk job for the win on this one. At this point I could sit up just fine and walk around without issues.
My doctor instructed me to not exercise (except walking) for six weeks. This was really hard for me as I had gotten into a really good spin + barre routine! Honestly, at the end of the 6 weeks, I was 21 weeks pregnant and really lost my mojo for the workout classes. So, the surgery did kind of derail me in that way.
Cost of the Laparoscopic Surgery
My insurance was billed about $32,000 for my laparoscopic oophorectomy. I am lucky to work for the hospital so I had a flat co-pay of $250 that I pre-paid.
Laparoscopic Surgery Scars
I have gotten so many questions about the scars from my laparoscopy, the healing time on the stitches, how my belly button looks, and requests to see photos of my laparoscopic surgery scars. So, I will comply. As I mentioned, there were three incisions: one in my belly button, and one on either side of my abdomen, about at the widths of my hip bones. I believe that they usually do these lower, by the bikini line, but due to my uterus being swollen with pregnancy, they had to be a little higher.
This is my scar the day of my surgery. It's "wet" looking due to medical glue used to hold it shut. There were no external stitches.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, the surgery and recovery were so much less of a deal than I imagined. At no point did I feel any sort of even semi-significant pain. My medical staff took such good care of me. I felt complete relief once it was over and that I was able to focus on the pregnancy completely!
Are you facing an ovarian cyst? I'd love to discuss it with you. Feel free to email me at Morgan@CharlestonCrafted.com if you need an ear!
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Hello, I'm Morgan, half of the creative force behind CharlestonCrafted.com! With a passion for DIY that dates back to 2012, I've transformed three homes and now I'm dedicated to helping others craft their dream spaces. Let's turn your house into a home together!
Latorya Smith says
I have been trying to get pregnant for years with no luck due to PCOS. I even went to IVF clinic and still had no success. While going through invitro I was told that I had a cyst on my left ovary and if push comes to shove they may have to drain it during pregnancy if it had gotten bigger, but like I said I didn't get pregnant. One day after being sick for about 6 weeks and I went in for my appointment and behold, I am pregnant!!! They have been monitoring my cyst and it has gotten bigger since I have become pregnant and at my anatomy scan, I was told that they may have to go in and take it out. I am so thankful for coming across your story, because I was very worried. Thank you for posting this for others to see.
Sean says
Hi Latorya - I am sorry that you have been through so many trials on your way to a baby. I was lucky to get pregnant fairly easily, but I know that facing surgery while pregnant is so so scary. Lean on your support system and trust in your doctors. I really felt like my anxiety went way down after having it removed - I was so stressed before not knowing what would happen or if it would burst. I will keep you and your baby in my thoughts! I hope for a speedy recovery for you <3 Morgan
rosemary irungu says
Hi, my doc told me I have cyst (10by13cm) on my right ovary on the outside and at the same time am pregnant, of late i have been feeling pain on the left side does it mean my left ovary could also be affected? the last time i took medicine, painkiller, they gave bloating on the stomach so i stopped. advise please... thank you.
Morgan says
Hi Rosemary, I am sorry for your troubles! I would ask a doctor - I can't give any medical advice. I know that they couldn't tell from an ultrasound which ovary of mine was infected and it took surgery to be sure which it was, because it was swollen so big. Good luck!!
Agnesia says
I had my surgery exactly one week ago, I was 6 weeks pregnant after trying for over 4 years. My cysts was outside my right ovary but because it was ruptured I had to have an emergency surgery. Due to all the stress and medication we lost the baby. Still depressed but I'm happy to read your success story
Morgan says
I am so so sorry that that happened to you and I hope that you have a strong support system around you. I think that it is very normal for you to feel depressed right now and for a while. I hope that you can find peace and that you have a rainbow baby in your near future
Audrey says
Hi there!
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I am so happy it went well.
I have a 10cm dermoid cyst on my left ovary that was discovered in February. I am having surgery May 23rd to have it laparoscopically removed, and they aren't sure if my tumor is on or in my ovary until they get in there. I am wondering, since you had to remove your ovary and tube, if you've had any hormone issues from missing an ovary? Any symptoms at all? Or do you feel totally normal? My fear is feeling all out of sorts and having hormone issues mentally and physically if and when I have to remove my ovary.
Your help is appreciated. Thank you again for sharing! 😉
Sean says
Hi Audrey - I am so sorry that you had to go thru this. I was worried about hormonal changes, too, though my doc told me not to worry. I hesitate to make a statement on that because I was pregnant and then have been postpartum since having the surgery so my hormones are wacky anyways. I am not sure when they will "even out" since I am still nursing exclusively which impacts my hormone levels. That being said, I haven't had anything that has been abnormal at this point. Only time will tell what happens, once I stop breastfeeding.
I hope that helps. I am thinking of you as your surgery comes up. I hope it goes well and you feel relief once it is over!
Natalie says
I am 22. On my birthday, July 15th, 2019 I have to have my ovary removed because of an agonizingly painful 5 inch dermoid cyst in my left ovary. I am so scared and so sad. I dont want to get it done but I end up in the er over and over for pain. I am so scared I cry alot. Your post helped ease my mind a little.
Sean says
Hi Natalie - I am so sorry you are having to go thru this. I hope that you have good doctors that you can trust. I hope it helps to know that as soon as I was done with the surgery, I felt so relieved that it was over and that I wouldn't have any more trouble. I hope you find the same relief! I'll be thinking of you.
Igor says
Thank you for sharing. My wife had 7cm demroid cyst and we was prepairing for surgery. But today the last check , we find that she was 5 week of pregnant. Doctor sugest us 3 ways.. First to let go and do pragnancy normal, dont think about cyst, second to remove cyst with laparascopy but maby will affect the fetus , and to remove fetus and cyst. We are so confused what to choice. My wife is 33 and this is our second pregnency. We thinking to go on with pregnancy but we dont know the risk of dermoid cyst. Can you share your expirience about cyst through pregnancy. What your doctor suggest more.
Sean says
I am so sorry that you and your wife are going through this. I would definitely follow the suggestions of your doctor. I was very scared, too, and didn't want to get surgery but my doctor really encouraged me to do it. Since your wife is just 5 weeks, you should have some time. Hopefully you can wait and observe and see if it grows alongside the baby.
I'll be thinking of you.
Kate says
Thank you so much for sharing!! I have a consult with a surgeon in the morning for a 9cm cyst and I am terrified. This is my first and likely only pregnancy as I am 38 yr old and she is a rainbow baby. I’m 18 weeks today. Your story helps me feel a bit better.
Morgan says
I am so sorry this is happening to you. I hope that you have good doctors and can be well taken care of! 18 weeks they will want to move quickly if they need to operate. Fingers crossed they can just monitor you! <3
Ash says
Thank you so much for sharing. You have definitely reduced my stress over this! Have you delivered yet? If so were you able to deliver vaginally?
Sean says
I’m so glad to help. Yes my baby is 8 months old and healthy now! I ended up with an induction and csection but that was unrelated to this surgery. I had high blood pressure. Good luck!!
Rachel says
Hi
Thank you for sharing your experience! I am in the UK and am currently 15 weeks pregnant with an 11cm dermoid on my right overy.
My consultant has said that he thinks it will be pushed out of the way as the baby grows and that they can do a c section at 38-39 weeks and take the baby and cyst out at the same time. I'm having a scan next week to see if it is moving out the way or not and if it's growing...
After reading this I'm a bit worried about leaving it... But he seems to be a specialist in his field... Not sure what to do!
Morgan says
Hi Rachel - I am not a medical professional and can only share my experience. I would trust the advice of your doctor as they know your circumstances. Not all cases are the same. good luck. Morgan
Chelsea says
Thank you so much for sharing this. Other people’s experiences are so much nicer to hear then drs comments of how things may go. I’m 16 weeks pregnant and going in for surgery on Thursday. This helped put me a little bit more at ease . My cyst is very large 14cm. We’re of course still very nervous but we believe this was the best decision for our situation.
Morgan says
I am so sorry you are having to go thru with this. Sending you so much love!!
Nicole says
Thanks for sharing. I am 14 weeks Pregnant and just had my surgery yesterday. It was suggested by 2 separate ob/gyn to have it removed so I did. Surgery went well and they also removed my whole ovary as it was safer to do so while being pregnant. Now it’s healing time. Just laying in bed now, day 2 and binge watching shows. Pain is much better today than yesterday. Thank you so much for sharing this. It is nice to read about others who have had similar experiences.
Morgan says
Hi Nicole I am so glad everything went well for you sounds like we had a very similar situation. Thinking of you and the rest of your pregnancy!
Penny says
Thank you so much for posting. Going through exactly the same thing. Was your delivery okay?
Morgan says
Not really but that was unrelated to the cyst 🙂 we are all fine now!
Nikki says
Thank you for sharing! I just had a 9 cm dermoid cyst taken out along with my ovary at 16 weeks pregnant. I had no idea it was there until my first ultrasound at 8 weeks. I had one episode of severe pain and low an behold during surgery my surgeon discovered it had started to twist around my ovary. I really wanted to save my ovary, but my surgeon wanted to take every precaution to make sure the baby was protected. If he tried to dissect it, it could have ruptured and caused chemical peritonitis. It’s been mentally tough dealing with the loss of my ovary, but I’m 39 and this is my third and last baby. I just pray for no early menopause or hormonal issues!
Morgan says
Hey Nikki - I am so sorry you had to go thru that and glad you came out OK. I can't give long-term results, since it has been only 2 years since my surgery. However, I can share that I was able to easily get pregnant again! So, hopefully, it didn't mess anything up losing an ovary. Love to you!
Bethany Stephenson says
This is really weird of me to comment like 2 1/2 years later, but I wanted to tell you that this has helped me so much today. I found out today that I will need this same surgery (10 cm cyst except for I’m not pregnant) and I am beyond freaked out. I’m 34 and have never had surgery or a pregnancy. Reading through this has really calmed me down. Thank you for putting this into writing and sharing with the world.
Sean says
Hi Bethany - not weird at all. When I was going thru this I couldn't find anything really online, except doom and gloom message boards that really freaked me out. I am glad this helped and I will be thinking of you!
Lynsey says
Hi, I’m so glad I have come across your blog! EVERYTHING you have described is so similar to me and how I’ve been feeling. I’m 20 weeks pregnant and have a large cyst (15x10cm) on my left ovary and have been so undecided as to how to proceed, as it’s not just you you have to consider, of course it’s baby too!
Your story has reassured me a lot and I think helped confirm my decision - despite my fears which seem to be normal going by yours!!
Thank you.
Morgan says
Hey Lyndsey - I'm so sorry you are going thru this. I hope you have good doctors you can put your trust in. I am not a doctor but I will say that I felt so much less stress once it was removed and taken care of, I was finally able to enjoy my pregnancy! I hope the same for you. <3 Morgan
Lynsey says
@Morgan, thank you for replying to me! I’m in recovery and just want to say everything went well and baby is good. I’m so happy I’ve made this decision and not worry about cyst now... just going to monitor baby and hopefully can enjoy rest of pregnancy. I don think you realize the confidence reading your story gave me to go through with this. I hope you and all your family stay well. X
Ayla says
Hi Morgan, Thanks so much for sharing your story. It's amazing how many women have reached out to you, and taken reassurance from it (I'm in that boat). I was wondering how your scars from the surgery have healed? Are they noticeable scars or can you not see them anymore? Sorry for the rather vain question but this seems to be the main anxiety I have going into my surgery which I know sounds shallow. I'm just terrified the doctors will leave large scars all over my stomach and the thought of that makes me want to cry. Thank you again for sharing, I really appreciate it. 🙂
Morgan says
Hey Ayla! I'm sorry you are going thru this. I had my surgery laprascopic and it was 3 incisions about 1/4-1/2" long each. One is inside my belly button and only visible when I was very pregnant. The other two are about 1/4" in length and the same color as my skin (now 2.5 years later) and are only slight indents. My dermatologist noticed them at my skin exam but no one else has ever said anything. I have since had 2 c-sections and they are not even comparable scars to that. These are like paper cuts and the c-section is like ten inches long.
Good luck!!
Melanie says
Hello, I just wanted to tell you I had an 11 cm ovarian cyst develop rapidly while pregnant last year and ended up needing it to be surgically removed at 22 weeks pregnant. I was so unbelievable scared. I researched as much as I could but yours was the only personal account I came across. Thank you so much for writing this and for your video. Thank you for walking through your decision and every step of the experience. It helped me a lot and gave me comfort and reassurance in a really uncertain time.
Morgan says
So glad to have helped you through this. Hope everything turned out ok!
Nine says
@Morgan,
I wish I had read this earlier it may of changed my mind on decisions. I opted to terminate at 10 weeks because the cyst had gotten to 15cm and just didn’t like what I was hearing from the doctors. I have one kidney due to being a kidney donor in years past. The stress on my body was already so much. I’m 38 and I didn’t know I was pregnant until 8 weeks after having multiple negative urine tests. Finally I knew something was not right went to doctor and they did ultrasound found pregnancy and mass the mass was already taking over my bladder. After much deep thought and consideration of my 2 other children. We decided this was the best decision. Now I’m getting ready to schedule the surgery to remove the mass. I do have regrets everyday about the what if’s or what could of been. Wishing I had read your story before we made any big decisions. Prayers your family is doing well and thank you again.
krisma says
hello mam ..are you still pregnant after the surgery? me right now ma'am facing the dermoid cyst, but I'm scared in the surgery ,because I want to get pregnant ..
Morgan says
Hi Krisma - my surgery was 3.5 years ago, but I went on to have a healthy baby and then another healthy pregnancy! I am sorry you are going thru this but you will be OK!!
Ashley says
I just had this surgery yesterday! Thank you for sharing your story as it really helped us in making the decision to go ahead with the surgery and I am already so glad that we did!
Sean says
Ashley - I hope you are doing well. I'll be thinking of you!!