Risks of ovarian surgery include the following:

• Ovarian cysts may come back after a cystectomy.
• Pain may not be controlled.
• Scar tissue (adhesions) may form at the surgical site, on the ovaries or fallopian tubes, or in the pelvis.
• Infection may develop.
• The bowel or bladder may be damaged during surgery.

An ovarian cyst can be removed from an ovary (cystectomy), preserving the ovary and your fertility. But it is possible for a new cyst to form on the same or opposite ovary after a cystectomy. New cysts can only be completely prevented by removing the ovaries (oophorectomy).

General anesthesia usually is used during surgery.

After a laparoscopy, you can resume normal activities within a day. But you should avoid strenuous activity or exercise for about a week.

After a laparotomy, you may stay in the hospital from 2 to 4 days and return to your usual activities in 4 to 6 weeks.

Laparoscopy is done to:

• Check for and possibly take out abnormal growths (such as tumors) in the belly or pelvis.
• Check for and treat conditions such as endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
• Find conditions that can make it hard for a woman to become pregnant. These conditions include cysts, adhesions, fibroids, and infection. Laparoscopy may be done after initial infertility tests do not show the cause for the infertility.
• Do a biopsy.
• See whether cancer in another area of the body has spread to the belly.
• Check for damage to internal organs, such as the spleen, after an injury or accident.
• Do a tubal ligation.
• Fix a hiatal hernia or an inguinal hernia. See a picture of an inguinal hernia.
• Take out organs, such as the uterus, spleen, gallbladder (laparoscopic cholecystectomy), ovaries, or appendix (appendectomy). Partial removal (resection) of the colon also can be done.
• Find the cause of sudden or ongoing pelvic pain.