The ovaries are a part of the female reproductive system. Each ovary is about the size of an almond and one of their responsibilities is the production of eggs or ova, along with the hormones of progesterone and estrogen. Cancer that affects the ovaries is known as ovarian cancer. However, one of the major problems with this condition is how much it goes unnoticed. The diagnosis doesn’t happen in a lot of cases until cancer has spread to the abdomen and pelvis. In the early stages, the cancer is usually confined to just the ovaries, and the treatment of this condition at this stage is successful more often than not.

There are different types of surgery options that can be used in the main treatment for ovarian cancer. However, which surgery should be used in a particular case depends upon a lot of factors. In some cases, a combination of these surgeries can also be used. Some of the options for surgeries are as follows:

Salpingo-oophorectomy
This surgery involves the removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes. If the surgery involves the removal of both ovaries, it is called a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. If the cancer is only at an early stage and the woman would want to have the choice of becoming pregnant in the future, then the surgery could be done to remove only one ovary and one fallopian tube, given that cancer has not spread beyond one ovary. This kind of surgery would be called a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. This is one of the main treatments for ovarian cancer.

Hysterectomy
In this type of surgery, the woman’s uterus would be removed. In some cases, if it is necessary, the surgery may also involve the removal of the tissue surrounding the uterus. If the surgery only involves the removal of the uterus, then it would be known as partial hysterectomy. A total hysterectomy would involve the removal of the uterus along with the removal of the cervix. This is one of the main treatments for ovarian cancer.

Lymph node dissection (lymphadenectomy)
The affected lymph nodes present in the paraaortic and pelvic regions might be removed through the surgery by the surgeon.

Debulking/cytoreductive surgery
When cancer has spread to another part of the body, it is known as metastatic cancer, and this surgery is used for the treatment of that kind of cancer. The major focus of this surgery is to remove as much tumor as possible in a safe manner. To do so, the surgery might have to remove some tissue from nearby organs such as colon, spleen, liver, etc. This is one of the main treatments for ovarian cancer.

This surgery can improve the efficiency of other ongoing treatments such as chemotherapy, which is given after the surgery to control any leftover tumor cells which would be left behind. In the case where the tumor has spread beyond the ovary and the fallopian tubes, chemotherapy might be given to the patient before the surgery to help in shrinking the tumor before the debulking or cytoreductive surgery.

Communicating with the doctor about the treatment options one is eligible for, the safety and side effects of it can help in understanding the situation better and proceed with confidence.