01 May Ovarian Cysts and Pregnancy

Ovarian cysts are often found in pregnant women. Ovarian cysts are formed when there is development of a sac that is filled with blood, tissue or fluid. During pregnancy these cysts contain fluids. Ovarian cysts are diagnosed with the help of ultrasounds that is done as a part of prenatal check-ups.

Once the ovarian cysts are detected your gynaecologist may just monitor it for some time with the help of additional scans. There are different types of ovarian cysts. Most cysts are functional during a pregnancy. This means that they occur because of normal functions in the ovaries. Luteum and follicular cysts are the two types of functional cysts. Corpus leutal cysts are very normal during pregnancy, which are asymptomatic and can start to shrink at around 10 weeks into the pregnancy and will disappear by about 16 weeks. The follicle holding the unfertilized egg can also develop into a cyst. This type of functional cyst is called follicular. Most of the time there are no symptoms, but if there are they typically go away by the second trimester.

Ovarian cysts do not harm baby especially if they are small in size. They are usually left until after delivery. The decision to remove the ovarian cysts is taken-

• If an ovarian cyst is of the size more than 7cm
• If it is suspected to be a tumour or cancer by additional tests done
• If it is causing symptoms like pain and discomfort
• If we suspect that it has been ruptured

Large cysts can cause pain to the expectant mother and can also prevent the head of the baby in engaging at the end of pregnancy. If the cyst is suspected to be cancerous, then the principles for management of cancer in pregnancy are followed. Dr. Manavita Mahajan has knowledge and proficiency in treating ovarian cysts during pregnancy.

TREATMENT OF OVARIAN CYST DURING PREGNANCY

Laparoscopic surgery is a safe and effective procedure that can be done during pregnancy. The best time to do this is the second trimester. This method is generally safe but there might be a risk of pregnancy loss that can be weighed against the risk of leaving the cyst there. However, there are other natural treatments also if you don’t want to choose the surgical route.

Pregnant women as well as women who want to conceive should not worry about ovarian cysts. Pregnancy is a wonderful time that should be treasured and enjoyed without being consumed by concerns over ovarian cysts. Have a stress-free pregnancy and pre-pregnancy through guidelines given by Dr. Manavita Mahajan, a well-known gynaecologist in Gurgaon. These can helpfully eliminate ovarian cysts so that you can focus more on keeping you and your baby happy and healthy.