Oophorectomy - Post- operative Care
Women report less pain after a laparoscopic procedure than the abdominal incision procedure.
After surgery a woman may feel some discomfort. The degree of discomfort varies and is generally greatest with abdominal incisions, because the abdominal muscles must be stretched out of the way so that the surgeon can reach the ovaries.
Post-operative Care: Some of the post operative measures include-
- Antibiotics are sometimes given to reduce the risk of post-surgical infection.
- If both ovaries are removed, the woman immediately goes into menopause. If there is no evidence of breast cancer, the doctor will prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT), either estrogen alone or with progesterone, to help manage the symptoms of menopause.
- Return to normal activities, such as driving and working, takes from 2-6 weeks, depending on the type of surgery you had.
- Some women experience emotional distress following the removal of their ovaries and benefit from counseling and may need some sort of hormone replacement therapy.
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Average hospital stay for the abdominal Oophorectomy is three to five days and for the laparoscopic procedure one to two days. A woman will need three to six weeks to return to normal activities after an Abdominal Oophorectomy.
Contact Your Doctor If Any of the Following symptoms occur after you are discharged home -
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- Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Persistent or increased vaginal bleeding or discharge
- Severe pain
- Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision sites
- Difficulty urinating
- Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, severe nausea or vomiting
