Surgical Menopause (endometrioma/bilateral oophorectomy)

I haven’t had my ovaries removed, but I have had two surgeries to remove endometriomas. So, I’m always aware that they might come back. I haven’t gone through menopause myself, but here is an article from Katrina, one of our advocates, on their experience: https://endometriosis.net/living/surgical-menopause

I’m sure others will chime in with their experience! - Keri (patient leader)

Hi Keri, thank you so much for replying. Katrina's article is super helpful and I hope they, and others, see my post 😀
I truly wish I could just have this endometrioma removed but my surgeon (who is an endo specialist out of Portland, OR) said it's highly likely I'll go in to ovarian failure if we operate on the ovary and essentially recommended I wait until I can't take the pain any longer (lol) and then we can operate.
I didn't mention this (for anyone reading!) in my original post but I just don't want to take ovarian suppression as "buying time" with medical menopause doesn't seem right for me, and as far as I know there's nothing (birth control, etc) that stops the growth of an endometrioma. I definitely don't want to go through sudden menopause in my 30's but I also can't change the fact that endometrioma's like my ovaries, lol. SIGH 😀
Thank you again - truly!
-Jaime

Hello Jaime, I was first diagnosed with an endometrioma on my left ovary after experiencing unbearable ovary pain for increasing amounts of time each month, until it was there on and off for 3 weeks of every cycle. I knew I couldn't carry on like I was, doubled up in pain and completely unable to do anything, and maximum dose of over-the-counter pain relief was not even touching it. After multiple doctor's visits I was finally referred for an ultrasound which picked up my 6cm endometrioma. I'd never heard of endometriosis before, but once I started reading up about it (and my mum!) we both knew I just needed to have surgery ASAP to remove this endometrioma before it did any more damage and to relieve the pain. We had to go private as it was during the peak of Covid and I couldn't wait the 9 months waiting list on the NHS with the unknown at the end of my op possibly being cancelled due to Covid, and was lucky enough to be booked in for private surgery in a month's time!


On waking up after the laparoscopy I was surprised and dismayed at being told they hadn't been able to remove the endometrioma as it was stuck to my bowel as well as my ovary, and they would need a bowel surgeon there to be able to operate on it. But at least they had drained it down, and removed a lot of the other endo lesions across my pelvis, and apart from a horribly painful period 2 weeks after surgery (due to all the tissues disturbed during surgery), after which time I began birth control (mini-pill as I couldn't take the pill due to having had aura migraines in the past), I've had minimal ovary pain to date.

Two years on, I've had an MRI to work out what is going on in my pelvis, as I'm hoping to have another surgery soon to completely remove the endometrioma....and the endometrioma on my left ovary is only 2cm! 😀 They said the endometrioma would fill up again after surgery so I was expecting it to, but through taking birth control ever since my last surgery has meant it has only filled up very slowly (I've now been advised to take two mini-pills a day as my periods never stopped completely, and I'm convinced if I'd done that ever since the last surgery, the endometrioma would be even smaller!) As it's still only small still, my ovary pain is manageable, by taking a max dose of over-the-counter painkiller (paracetomol and ibuprofen) soon after the pain starts thereby preventing it from getting to a much worse unbearable level of pain which cannot be managed with over-the-counter painkillers...if that makes sense!


So, in summary, birth control CAN stop or at least certainly SLOW the growth of your endometrioma. It's just about finding the right birth control and the right dose for you. Also would your surgeon be happy to drain the cyst down to relieve the pain for you, if the birth control doesn't help? Also re birth control, I'd say keep at it...just keep taking it every day, try doubling the dose if your doctor is happy with it. Don't give up after a few months or even a year, as I nearly did as I didn't know if it wasn't making any difference...because I now know it certainly did and was worth sticking at it!


I trust this helps, and that you can avoid that dreaded surgical menopause xx