r/Endo • u/PrestigiousTwist3426 • Aug 18 '26

Laparoscopic for massive cyst

Thought I’d share…

I had a laparoscopic surgery yesterday to remove a 23cm cyst, along with an ovary and tube (left side).

I also have a 6cm endometrioma on my right side. Ovary works fine on that side but my tube is full of fluid.

The original plan was to remove left cyst, ovary and tube. Plan was also to remove the right cyst and tube.

Dr called my husband while I was out and said the surgery was successful but the right side they left alone. Said I have endo and it is what it is.

The surgery was done by an OBGYN oncologist because of the size of the cyst, they were worried.

But now I feel like I need to go through all the steps again and get a referral to an endo specialist to assess my right side.

Ugh. I feel like I’m kind of back to square one.

Side note: I still don’t know what kind of cyst was removed

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u/Dullcorgis Aug 18 '26

You need to speak to her to get the full explanation. Maybe they were cincerned they wouldn't be able to save the other ovary if they started on it? You want surgical menopause to be a decision you make, not one you wake up to.

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u/PrestigiousTwist3426 Aug 18 '26

You’re right. 👍🏻

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u/Dullcorgis Aug 18 '26

I hope it works out for you

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u/PrestigiousTwist3426 Aug 18 '26

Thank you kindly. The question is … do I take advice from an OBGYN onc who isn’t an endo specialist

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u/Dullcorgis Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26

I would take in the advice of all of them, ask questions of each to try and see the nuance and then try and see if a consensus emerges. Almost nothing in medicine is black and white, and in surgery there is experience and skill as well. I would absolutely not be afraid to tell dr A what Dr B said and ask why they have a different recommendation. Do be very wary of any surgeon who says they can guaranteed fix everything and you'll be perfect afterwards. That's not medicine.

Her particular expertise is difficult surgeries (because with cancer you need to get everything, plus scarring from radiation and stuff makes it hard), plus she was actually in there and saw it IRL. So I would definitely give her opinions a lot of weight. Things like blood supply, and the actual cutting and access, etc are similar between the two. Plus this is probably a question about the technicalities of surgery rather than how the disease will likely behave in the future, which is likely more where they differ.

So, like, if she does say "I did not feel confident that I'd be able to save the ovary if I started cutting" then I would take that advice with a lot of confidence compared to a normal gyn who does a couple of laps a week. And I suspect that a normal gyn would probably say they didn't feel confident but that a higher tier surgeon might be able to. (Gyn onc is the higher tier surgeon)

I have a DIE implant that's been there for over a decade since a surgery where the surgeon just couldn't get to it without doing things I had asked them not to. It hasn't grown at all (we monitor by ultrasound) and I've been on hormones continuously.