Services Offered at an Ovarian Cyst Clinic

Posted by nishimj on November 24th, 2020

Most ovarian cysts disappear on their own and don’t need any treatment, but if you're someone who doesn't want to take any chances at all. Don't hesitate to go for a checkup as soon as you feel any symptoms of it. If you suspect you have an ovarian cyst, contact PK Women's Clinic at (65) 66369909 to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced gynecologists.

What is an Ovarian Cyst Clinic?

As the name implies, this kind of clinic is dedicated to patients that are having concerns with regards to ovarian cyst.

What are the Services Being Offered?

The services being offered in an ovarian cyst clinic are composed of preventive services that mainly focus on the diagnosis and treatment of an ovarian cyst.

Diagnosis

To diagnose whether you have an ovarian cyst, your doctor would utilize different kinds of tests ranging from a simple blood test to the use of imaging tools like the ultrasound. Each of these tests would have its purpose whether it is for confirmation or to rule out some factors. Here are some of them:  

• Pregnancy test

○      Before your healthcare provider would test you for an ovarian cyst, he or she would first rule out the possibility of pregnancy being the one causing your symptoms. A positive result from the test would suggest that you have a corpus luteum cyst, a functional cyst.This form of cyst can increase in thickness and size, causing a blunt and agonizing sensation on the lower belly area where ovaries are located and has the ability to burst or turn the ovary (ovarian torsion).

• Ultrasound

○      An ultrasound transducer is used to create images of your body's internal organs with the use of sound waves. By sending and receiving high-frequency sound waves, the device can create a pseudo image of your uterus and ovaries on a video screen. Your doctor then analyzes the image to confirm the presence of a cyst, helps identify its location, and determines whether it's solid, filled with fluid, or mixed.

• Pelvic exam

○      The doctor uses an instrument to expand the vagina, which would help the doctor to identify whether there are lumps or variations in your vagina, cervix, and uterus.

• Laparoscopy

○      In this kind of test, your doctor would perform the examination in an operating room. He or she would use a slim, lighted instrument called a laparoscope to view your reproductive organs and pelvic cavity by inserting it through an incision in the abdomen. Once he or she was able to diagnose that there is some presence of cysts — right there in that instance he may perform surgery to remove it.

• Blood test

○      This type of test enables your doctor to know whether you’re at a high risk of having ovarian cancer by measuring the levels of certain hormones in the blood. An elevated blood level of a protein called CA 125 or cancer antigen 125 can indicate that you’re at risk of having ovarian cancer, as well as noncancerous conditions, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Treatment

In most cases, ovarian cysts are harmless and generally go away without the need for treatment but there are some that need urgent attention especially if some of the symptoms show. Nevertheless, the treatment that would be needed will be based on the size and appearance of the cysts, symptoms that you would experience, etc. The doctor would recommend to you either of these treatments:

• Watchful waiting

○      This means you won't receive immediate treatment, but a few weeks or months later, you may have to visit the clinic for an ultrasound scan to check whether the cyst is gone. If scans indicate that the cyst has vanished, there is generally no need for further testing and treatment. If the cyst is still present, surgery could be recommended. Here aresome studies that tell that ovarian cysts should be watched rather than removed.

• Medication

○      Birth control pills are the popular hormonal contraceptives that your doctor will prescribe to you if you want to keep your ovarian cyst from recurring. This kind of contraceptives can stop ovulation and prevent the development of new cysts. Take note that birth control pills can only prevent the ovarian cyst from forming in the first place but in terms of shrinking an existing cyst, it won't.

• Surgery

○      Massive or recurring ovarian cysts, or symptom-causing cysts are typically recommended to be excised through surgical procedures (e.g. laparoscopy or laparotomy).

What's the Takeaway?

Same as with others, no matter how you think of yourself as a healthy person, there is no guarantee that you would be healthy throughout. It is better than if you have spare time to visit your healthcare clinic, it is much more reassuring to hear that you're suffering from a particular condition now than to regret later on if that condition came to worse.