Ovarian Cyst Care
Ovarian cysts are common and usually harmless, often found by chance during a routine scan, yet being told you have one can still bring worry, especially about whether it might be something more serious.
Mr Jonathan Broome, consultant gynaecologist at The Pelvic Clinic, offers a thorough assessment and clear explanation of what your scan means, seeing patients at Spire Manchester and Spire Hale, with a treatment plan built around you, from watch-and-wait monitoring to surgery.
Overview
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop on or within an ovary. Most are ‘functional’ cysts, forming as a normal part of the menstrual cycle and disappearing on their own within a few weeks. Other, less common types, such as dermoid cysts or endometriomas, can form independently of your cycle and sometimes need closer monitoring or treatment.
Ovarian cysts are extremely common, and most women will develop one at some point without ever knowing. Most are benign, and most cysts found on a scan are not cancer, though a small number need further investigation to be sure, sometimes including a blood test called CA-125 alongside your scan. A proper assessment, rather than the size of the cyst alone, is what determines the right next step.
What to Look For
Most cysts cause no symptoms and only show up unexpectedly on a scan done for another reason.
A dull ache or sharp pain in your lower abdomen, sometimes only on one side.
A feeling of fullness or heaviness in your lower abdomen that swells up and does not ease.
Pain during sex, particularly deep pain, which can be easy to dismiss or feel awkward mentioning.
Sudden, severe abdominal pain, sometimes with fever or vomiting, which needs urgent medical attention.
Needing to urinate more often, or constipation, as a larger cyst presses on nearby organs.
What Causes It
Most ovarian cysts form as a normal part of the menstrual cycle and are not caused by anything you did or did not do.
Each month, a follicle releases an egg and normally dissolves afterwards; sometimes it keeps growing instead, forming a functional cyst.
Endometriosis can cause cysts called endometriomas to form on the ovary, filled with old, dark blood from previous cyclical bleeding.
A cyst can form early in pregnancy to support it before the placenta takes over, and it usually resolves on its own.
Conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome cause the ovaries to develop many small cysts alongside irregular or absent ovulation.
Treatments Available
Most ovarian cysts need no treatment, but when action is needed, the right approach depends on the type, size, and symptoms of your cyst.
If your cyst is small, simple, and not causing symptoms, the usual approach is monitoring with a repeat scan to check whether it resolves on its own.
Most cysts that need removal can be treated with laparoscopy, a keyhole procedure that removes the cyst through small incisions and allows a quicker recovery than open surgery.
For larger or more complex cysts, a laparotomy, using a larger incision, may be needed to remove the cyst safely, particularly if cancer cannot be ruled out.
Meet Your Consultant
Mr Jonathan Broome is a consultant gynaecologist and urogynaecologist based in Manchester, with 26 years’ experience, including 16 years in full private practice. He was trained in medicine at the University of Birmingham before completing a fellowship in advanced endoscopic gynaecology at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney. He then built his reputation treating complex pelvic floor cases as a consultant at Royal Bolton Hospital, and now consults privately, managing ovarian cysts at Spire Manchester and Spire Hale, seeing women from across Greater Manchester, Bolton and Cheshire.
He founded The Pelvic Clinic to give women the time to be listened to, to offer an accurate diagnosis and a meaningful treatment plan, individualised to each patient’s requirements, concerns and lifestyle goals.
In Our Patients’ Words
Verified reviews from patients seen by Mr Broome, shared through Doctify.
Real Patient Journeys
A snapshot of real patients that Mr Broome has treated across the range of conditions he specialises in.
A difficult labour left Alison with a uterine and vaginal wall prolapse. A keyhole sacrohysteropexy with Mr Broome lifted the…
Years of flooding periods and iron-deficiency anaemia caused by fibroids. A keyhole myomectomy with Mr Broome removed the…
Kate had been living with severe pelvic pain from endometriosis for over a decade. Laparoscopic excision surgery with Mr Broom…
After menopause, Kaye developed a bothersome vaginal vault prolapse that stopped her running and swimming. A…
Most ovarian cysts are not cancerous. The two broad types are functional cysts, which are harmless and linked to the menstrual cycle, and pathological cysts, which can be benign or, rarely, malignant. If you’re past menopause, Mr Broome may also check your CA-125 blood levels alongside a scan, as this marker can be raised with ovarian cancer, although many other conditions can raise it too. Proper assessment is important, and it’s always worth having any new or persistent symptoms checked.
A pelvic ultrasound is the first-line test. Blood tests for tumour markers and, for complex cysts, an MRI scan may be added.
The two conditions can share symptoms, such as pelvic pain and irregular periods, which is why they’re often confused. Endometriosis involves tissue similar to the womb lining growing outside the uterus, and can itself cause a specific type of ovarian cyst called an endometrioma. An ultrasound scan arranged with Mr Broome is usually able to define whether one, both, or neither condition is present.
Most cysts cause no symptoms. When they do, symptoms include pelvic pressure, bloating, pain during sex, and pain around ovulation or during periods.
When they are persistent, larger than about 5 cm, painful, twisting the ovary, or having suspicious features on imaging.
Ovarian torsion happens when a cyst twists the ovary’s blood supply, causing sudden, severe pain. It is a surgical emergency and needs urgent laparoscopy to save the ovary and fallopian tube.
In most cases, yes. The majority of ovarian cysts don’t affect fertility, and many women conceive without any issue while a cyst is being monitored. If you’re trying to conceive, or a cyst is large or complex, Mr Broome can talk you through whether it needs treating first and how that fits with your plans.
Functional cysts can recur cycle to cycle and often need no treatment. Endometriomas can recur and are sometimes managed with hormonal treatment after surgery.
An ovarian cystectomy is the surgical removal of a cyst, usually performed by keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery, which allows the healthy part of the ovary to be preserved. Recovery time varies from patient to patient depending on the cyst size and the individual, and Mr Broome will talk you through what to expect for your specific procedure at your consultation.
Self-pay and insured patients are usually seen within a week. We can arrange an ultrasound at or shortly after the first appointment.
Common Questions
Answers to the questions patients ask most often about ovarian cysts, imaging and surgery at The Pelvic Clinic.
