Ovarian Removal

Ovarian Removal (oophorectomy) is a treatment for cancer or to prevent cancer, remove a large ovarian cyst, remove an abscess, or treat endometriosis. Surgery may take out a portion of an ovary, an entire ovary (unilateral oophorectomy), or both ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy). If both are removed, menstruation stops and a woman cannot have children. The procedure usually is performed by laparoscopy, involving a few small abdominal incisions, including one in the belly button with the patient under spinal or general anesthesia. Surgery could last 45 to 90 minutes. Most laparoscopic patients will not spend the night in the hospital. Patients who have had ovaries removed by open surgery (laparotomy) may have a hospital stay of one to three days. Hormone replacement therapy may be needed if both ovaries were removed.

UAB Obstetrics and Gynecology offers comprehensive women’s health care in a private, personal environment, with physicians and nurses who are dedicated to delivering excellent care. Because our physicians are nationally recognized specialists in their fields, you can rest assured that you are receiving the most advanced care available. UAB Obstetrics and Gynecology is consistently ranked among the best programs of its kind in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

As part of the UAB Division of Women’s Reproductive Healthcare, UAB Obstetrics and Gynecology’s services range from complete obstetric care to the medical and surgical treatment of complicated gynecological concerns. We work closely with the UAB Medicine Interventional Radiology team to diagnose and treat your condition, using the latest and most accurate technology and imaging methods, including fluoroscopy, ultrasound, and CT scans. Because UAB Medicine is an academic health center, patients may be offered participation in clinical research trials, which can give you access to new techniques and treatments that are not available elsewhere in the area. Our physicians are here for you at all times, from your first routine gynecological exam, to delivering your baby, to guiding you through menopause. When you establish a relationship with our doctors, you can rely upon that relationship throughout your lifetime.

Videos

Robotic Surgery for Women’s Reproductive Cancers

UAB Medicine’s Dr. Warner Huh explains the use of robotic-assisted surgery in treating gynecologic cancers in women.

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Robot-Assisted Hysterectomy at UAB Medicine

Each year more than 600,000 hysterectomies are performed on women. Robot-assisted hysterectomy can shorten recovery times for women. Listen as UAB Medicine’s Warner Huh, MD discusses the procedure.

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Resources

• UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• National Institutes of Health