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What salpingo-oophorectomy means | CION Cancer Clinics
Salpingo-oophorectomy means an operation to remove an ovary together with its fallopian tube. Salpingo refers to the tube, and oophorectomy to removing the ovary. If your letter says bilateral, both tubes and both ovaries are being removed; unilateral means one side only. The womb is not part of it unless the letter also says hysterectomy. This page explains the words and what they mean for you. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What does salpingo-oophorectomy mean?
- What other names might appear on your letter?
- Why would someone have a salpingo-oophorectomy?
- What does the operation actually involve?
- What does a bilateral operation change, and what stays the same?
- What do people often get wrong about this operation?
- What should you ask when you see this word on your letter?
- Common questions about salpingo-oophorectomy
The short answer
What does salpingo-oophorectomy mean?
Salpingo-oophorectomy is an operation to remove an ovary and the fallopian tube attached to it. It is one operation, not two, and the long name simply lists the two parts being taken out.
Breaking the word into pieces
"Salpingo" comes from an old word for a tube, and refers to the fallopian tube, which carries eggs from the ovary to the womb. "Oophor" means ovary. "Ectomy" means cutting out. Put together, the word means removing the tube and the ovary. You may see the short form SO on a letter or form.
One side or both
"Unilateral" in front of the word means one side, so one tube and one ovary. "Bilateral" means both, and is often shortened to BSO. Your letter may also say right or left. If it does not say, ask, because the difference matters a great deal for your hormones.
What it does not include
The womb, the cervix and the lymph nodes (small glands that filter fluid) are not part of a salpingo-oophorectomy. If any of these are being removed too, the letter will name another operation alongside it, such as a hysterectomy. Ask the surgeon to read the full name aloud and explain each part.
A long medical name does not mean a bigger or more dangerous operation. It is simply precise.On your letter
What other names might appear on your letter?
- Oophorectomy
- Removal of an ovary, sometimes used loosely to include the tube.
- Salpingectomy
- Removal of a fallopian tube alone, with the ovary kept.
- BSO
- Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Both tubes and both ovaries.
- RRSO
- Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. Both tubes and ovaries removed to lower an inherited cancer risk, before any cancer is found.
- TAH-BSO
- Total abdominal hysterectomy with BSO. The womb, cervix, both tubes and both ovaries, through an open cut.
- Laparoscopic
- Keyhole. The operation is done through a few small cuts with a camera.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistThe reasons
Why would someone have a salpingo-oophorectomy?
The same operation is done for quite different reasons. The reason decides whether one side or both are removed.
A lump that needs a diagnosis
A mass on the ovary that looks worrying on a scan is often removed whole, with its tube, so the lab can examine it fully. Removing it in one piece avoids spilling cells if it proves to be cancer.
Ovarian, tube or womb cancer
Both tubes and ovaries are usually removed as part of the cancer operation, often with the womb and other tissue. The pathology report then guides further treatment.
An inherited gene fault
Women with a BRCA1, BRCA2 or Lynch syndrome result may be offered BSO before any cancer appears. The timing is planned with care.
Usually discussed with
- A genetic counsellor
- A surgical or gynaecological oncologist
- A fertility specialist, if children are still wanted
Problems that are not cancer
A twisted ovary, a large cyst, severe endometriosis or an abscess may also lead to removal, usually of one side only where that is safe.
The operation
What does the operation actually involve?
Before the day
Scans, blood tests including CA-125 in many cases, and fitness checks before the anaesthetic. You sign a consent form naming exactly what will be removed.
Asleep in theatre
The operation is done under a general anaesthetic. Most are keyhole, through a few small cuts in the tummy. Some need one longer cut.
Removal
The surgeon seals the blood vessels, frees the ovary and tube, and removes them, often inside a small bag through one of the cuts, so that nothing is spilled.
To the lab
The tissue goes to the pathology lab. The report takes some days, and your surgeon explains it at a follow-up appointment, even when it is normal.
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Side by side
What does a bilateral operation change, and what stays the same?
What changes after BSO
What usually stays the same
Menopause begins at once if you had not reached it
Little changes hormonally if you were already past menopause
Natural pregnancy is no longer possible
Pregnancy with donor or frozen eggs may be possible if the womb is kept
The chance of ovarian and tube cancer falls sharply
Breast screening and other check-ups continue
Hormone replacement may be discussed
Sex is still possible, though dryness may need treatment
Commonly misunderstood
What do people often get wrong about this operation?
"Salpingo-oophorectomy is the same as a
hysterectomy."
They are different operations. A hysterectomy removes the womb. A salpingo-oophorectomy removes the tubes and ovaries. They are often done together, which is why the names get mixed up. Check which one, or both, is on your form.
"Removing the tube is extra surgery that adds
risk."
Taking the tube with the ovary adds very little to the operation. Many ovarian cancers are now thought to start in the tube, and once the ovary is gone the tube has no job left to do.
"Only one side is being done, so menopause will
start."
One remaining ovary usually makes enough hormones. Menopause starts straight away only after a bilateral operation in a woman who had not yet reached it.
"A big name means a big scar."
Most salpingo-oophorectomies are done by keyhole through small cuts. The name describes what is removed, not how it is removed.
Being straight with you
What should you ask when you see this word on your letter?
A long medical word on a letter can be frightening, especially when nobody has explained it. The most useful thing you can do is ask the surgeon to say exactly what is being removed, in plain words, and why.
Questions about the name
Is this one side or both? Is the womb being removed too? Will it be keyhole or open? Could the plan change during the operation, and what would make it change?
Questions about afterwards
If both ovaries are removed, when will menopause symptoms start, and what can help? Could I take hormone replacement? Who checks my bones and heart in the years after? When will the report be ready?
What this page cannot tell you
It explains what the word means. It cannot tell you whether the operation is right for you, how much will be removed in your case, or what the report will show. Those answers come from your own team, with your scans in front of them.
If a family member has been given this word and is struggling to explain it at home, call the helpline and we will go through the letter with you.Questions we are asked
Common questions about salpingo-oophorectomy
How do you pronounce salpingo-oophorectomy?
Roughly sal-PING-go oh-oh-for-EK-tuh-mee. The two o sounds in the middle are said separately. Many doctors and nurses simply say BSO when both sides are removed. You do not need to say the full name; asking which parts are being removed gets you the same answer.
What is the difference between oophorectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy?
An oophorectomy removes the ovary. A salpingo-oophorectomy removes the ovary and its fallopian tube together. Today the tube is usually taken with the ovary, because many ovarian cancers are thought to start in the tube and the tube has no role once the ovary is gone.
Does BSO mean the womb is also removed?
No. BSO means both tubes and both ovaries only. If the womb is also being removed, you will see hysterectomy on the letter as well, often written as TAH-BSO or TLH-BSO. If your form is unclear, ask the surgeon before you sign.
Will I still have periods afterwards?
After a unilateral operation, periods usually carry on because the other ovary still works. After a bilateral operation, periods stop if you had not already reached menopause. If the womb has been kept and you take hormone replacement, some types can cause light bleeding, which your doctor will explain.
Is a salpingo-oophorectomy always a cancer operation?
Not always. It is done for cancer, to lower an inherited risk, to diagnose a worrying lump, and for problems that are not cancer, such as a twisted ovary. Being booked for it does not mean cancer has been found. Ask your surgeon why it has been recommended in your case.
How long is the hospital stay?
After keyhole surgery, most people go home within a day or two. After open surgery, or when more is removed as part of a cancer operation, the stay is longer. Your surgeon can give you a typical range for your own operation at the planning appointment.
Will it affect my sex life?
Sex is still possible once the wounds have healed. If both ovaries are removed before menopause, falling hormones can cause vaginal dryness and lower sex drive. These are common and treatable, with moisturisers, lubricants or hormone options. Mentioning it to your doctor is normal and useful.
Is it covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Cover depends on the reason for surgery. Operations for cancer or a suspected cancer are often covered through Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS and cashless insurers when part of an approved plan. Preventive surgery is less predictable. Ask the centre to confirm your cover in writing before the date.
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for ovarian cancer
- American Cancer Society — Surgery for Ovarian Cancer
- NHS — Hysterectomy
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Oophorectomy: What the Operation InvolvesThe day itself, from admission to going homeWhy the Tubes Are Removed With the OvariesThe reasoning behind taking the tube tooOne Ovary or Both: What DecidesUnilateral or bilateral, and what the team weighsRisk-Reducing Salpingo-Oophorectomy for BRCA CarriersWhen the operation is done before any cancer is foundThe Pathology Report After SurgeryWhat the lab report after surgery tells you
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