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Complex septated ovarian cyst is it cancer?

For about 6 months I've had chest pain, shortness of breath. I deemed it to me being a smoker. I'm 37 and always had very normal periods and very regular. In May, my periods stopped. In July I started having a this Brown discharge that smelled like death so I finally made a Dr appt. She done a vaginal exam and sent me straight for white blood count and CT scan.  She called me right after and told me to be in her office in one week for an ultrasound.they had seen an ovarian cyst and it was 3cm and they wanted to monitor it for growth.   The following day I had a bowel movement and dripped bright red blood vaginally the entire time I was On the toilet.  And then there was no more blood. But the brown discharge continued. I went for the ultrasound a few days ago. The Dr said so much I'm still lost. The cyst is now 3.6 cm so we've had a little growth over the week span. He also said my fallopian tube looked like "sausage" with septations.  But he said the most alarming is that at 3.6cm, the cyst should still have room to move around but it doesn't. So it needs to come out. He said I'll most likely lose my left ovary. He wasn't able to find my right ovary on the scan. Said it could be hiding or my body could have destroyed it.  He has me scheduled for cyst removal, possible ovary removal, D and C, something where he burns off the lining of my uterus, and a few biopsies. What is this Dr seeing that he isn't telling me ? I feel it's something bad because for one, they've rushed me through the process and two they're doing so much during my procedure that's not cyst related.  Anyone have any experience??
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Avatar universal
I can relate. I'm sorry you're going through this. My gynecologist acted the same way when I developed a complex cyst. I wondered the same thing - what is he not telling me? He used ovarian cancer scare tactics and rushed me into the operating room. My cyst was benign / non-cancerous, as most are, but he treated me as if I had cancer and removed both ovaries, both tubes and my uterus. All he should have removed was the cyst (cystectomy).

According to this website by a doctor who does a lot of cystectomies, most cysts can be removed without removing the ovary - http://ovaryresearch.com/ovarian_cysts.htm. This website talks about the harms of ovary removal - http://www.overy.org/. Removal of even one ovary has been shown to increase risk for health problems. Our ovaries are endocrine glands and produce hormones our whole lives to keep us healthy.

Based on everything he's saying, I'd fire him and find a different doctor. Your cyst is still small so may very well resolve on its own as most do. Imaging is not exact so it may not even be a complex cyst. But even most complex cysts are benign. The frozen section done in the operating room should dictate whether or not the ovary needs to be removed versus just the cyst. I doubt your body could have "destroyed" your other ovary - never heard of such a thing. They are often "hidden" on imaging. They're the size of an almond so it's no wonder they sometimes cannot be seen. Why would he "mess with" your uterus? Not only one procedure but two?? D&C and ablation? Sounds like he just wants to bill for everything possible. Both of those procedures can cause permanent harm, both of which can lead to hysterectomy due to chronic pelvic pain that ensues. This sounds wrong on so many levels.

Please do your research on the lifelong functions of the female organs. All that it seems would be needed at this point is monitoring of the cyst. It's still small. Unfortunately, removal of female organs is grossly overused and very lucrative so it can be difficult to find an ethical gynecologist. :(
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