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Small ovary after cyst removal

I’m 23 years old and had an ovarian cystectomy at 21 to remove a 6.4 cm dermoid cyst (this has grown about 3cm in a couple of months) it was causing pelvic pain. The doctor managed to preserve the ovary but I recently found out that I only have a very small portion of it left weighing 1cc compared to my other normal ovary which is 12cc. This has made me very worried about the status of my fertility and I am now questioning whether I made the right choice to remove the cyst.

Does anyone know if an ovary of that size can still function, I don’t see what the point was of leaving such a small portion of ovary?

Does anyone know if this means earlier menopause I am terrified I’m only 23 and have no idea about statusg of my fertility now and in the future
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I'm sorry you're dealing with this. First off, you did what you thought was best. If the cyst was truly a dermoid, it would not have resolved on its own like a lot of other cysts do. So surgery would have been necessary. Also, it's better to have part of an ovary versus none of it. Even if the part containing the eggs was removed, I believe you would still be left with its non-reproductive / endocrine functions which are important for many aspects of health long after menopause.  

As far as fertility - Of course, having both ovaries gives one the best chance of conceiving. However, it's possible to conceive with just a partial ovary. So hopefully, you'll be fine with one ovary plus a partial one. At least you know upfront that your chances are somewhat reduced so you can make allowances for that (e.g. begin trying earlier, seek fertility help sooner, etc.). An earlier menopause is a possibility. If it's quite a bit earlier, you may want to consider hormone therapy for bone health, etc.

I wish you the best.
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