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Oophorectomy: what the operation involves | CION Cancer Clinics
An oophorectomy is an operation to remove one or both ovaries. It is done under a general anaesthetic, usually through a few small keyhole cuts in the tummy, and sometimes through one longer cut. The fallopian tubes are often removed at the same time. Most people go home within a day or two. This page walks through the day, the recovery, and the questions to ask your surgeon. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
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 happens during an oophorectomy?
- Why would a surgeon remove an ovary?
- What happens from admission to going home?
- How does keyhole surgery compare with open surgery?
- What do families often believe about this operation?
- What can this page not tell you, and what should you ask?
- Common questions about oophorectomy surgery
The short answer
What happens during an oophorectomy?
In an oophorectomy, a surgeon removes one or both of your ovaries while you are fully asleep under a general anaesthetic. Most operations are done through a few small keyhole cuts, and most people go home within a day or two.
Keyhole or open?
In keyhole surgery, written as laparoscopy on your letter, the surgeon makes a few small cuts in the tummy, one near the belly button. A thin camera goes through one cut and fine instruments through the others. The tummy is filled with gas so the surgeon can see clearly. Open surgery uses one longer cut. It is chosen when an ovary is very large, when cancer is suspected and the whole abdomen needs checking, or when scarring from earlier operations makes keyhole unsafe.
What else may be removed
The fallopian tube on the same side is usually taken with the ovary. Your letter may then say salpingo-oophorectomy. If cancer is known or suspected, the womb, nearby lymph nodes (small glands that filter fluid) and a fatty apron called the omentum may also be removed. Your consent form should list each of these by name.
Who this page is not written for
If you are having surgery for a confirmed ovarian cancer, the operation is usually larger and the recovery longer. Much of the day will feel the same, but ask your team for the plan written for your own operation.
This page explains the operation. It cannot tell you whether you need it. That decision sits with your treating team.The reasons
Why would a surgeon remove an ovary?
The reason changes how much is removed and what happens afterwards. Ask your surgeon which of these applies to you.
A lump that needs checking
Some ovarian lumps look worrying on a scan. Removing the ovary lets the lab examine it properly. Many turn out not to be cancer.
Often decided by
- How the lump looks on the scan
- A blood test called CA-125
- Your age and whether you have reached menopause
A known or suspected cancer
When ovarian, tube or womb cancer is found, the ovaries are usually removed as part of a wider operation. The pathology report afterwards guides what comes next.
Lowering an inherited risk
Women who carry a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene may be offered removal of both ovaries and tubes before any cancer appears. This is planned well ahead with a genetic counsellor.
Hormone-sensitive breast cancer
For some women who have not reached menopause, removing the ovaries stops the body's main supply of oestrogen. Medicines can do the same job, so it is one choice among several.
Not every breast cancer is hormone-sensitive. Your report says which.Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistOn the day
What happens from admission to going home?
-
Admission and checks
You arrive having not eaten for the time your hospital told you. A nurse checks your blood pressure, blood tests and allergies. The surgeon goes through the consent form once more and answers last questions.
-
Meeting the anaesthetist
The anaesthetist asks about your health, past anaesthetics and every medicine you take. Mention blood thinners, diabetes tablets and herbal remedies. They decide what should be taken or held, not you.
-
The operation
You are fully asleep. A thin tube may drain urine from your bladder during surgery. Keyhole surgery often takes around an hour or a little longer. Open or cancer surgery takes longer.
-
Waking up in recovery
You wake with a nurse beside you. Pain in the tip of the shoulder is common after keyhole surgery. It comes from the gas used during the operation and settles as the body absorbs it.
-
Back on the ward
You are helped to sit up, sip water and walk the same day or the next morning. Walking early lowers the chance of clots in the legs. Pain relief is given regularly.
-
Going home
You leave with pain relief, wound advice and a date to discuss the results. After open surgery the stay is longer.
Side by side
How does keyhole surgery compare with open surgery?
Keyhole (laparoscopic)
Open (laparotomy)
A few small cuts in the tummy
One longer cut across or down the tummy
Usually a short hospital stay
Usually several days in hospital
Light daily activity often returns within a few weeks
Recovery usually takes longer
Suits smaller ovaries and planned risk-reducing surgery
Suits large masses, suspected cancer or heavy scarring
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Signs after you go home that cannot wait
Call your surgical team or go to the nearest emergency department the same day if you have a fever or shivering, tummy pain that is getting worse rather than better, a wound that is red, hot or leaking, heavy bleeding from the vagina, pain or swelling in one calf, or sudden breathlessness or chest pain. Do not wait for your follow-up appointment, and do not take extra painkillers to see if it settles.
Commonly believed
What do families often believe about this operation?
"Keyhole means a small operation, so she will be
back to normal in a couple of days."
The cuts are small, but the work inside is the same. Tiredness often lasts longer than the wounds. Plan help at home with lifting, cooking and housework for the first few weeks.
"If one ovary is removed, her periods and hormones
will stop."
One healthy ovary usually makes enough hormones on its own. Periods usually carry on. Menopause starts straight away only when both ovaries are removed before it would have happened naturally.
"Removing the ovaries means the womb has to come out
too."
Not usually. The womb stays unless there is a separate reason, such as a cancer. If a hysterectomy is suggested, ask why, and ask what would change if it were left.
"The surgeon will know straight away whether it is
cancer."
The surgeon can often tell a lot by looking. The final answer comes from the pathology report, which takes longer. Wait for that report before reading meaning into what was said in recovery.
Being straight with you
What can this page not tell you, and what should you ask?
This page describes a typical operation. It cannot tell you how much will be removed in your case, how long your stay will be, or what the lab will find. Those depend on why you are having surgery, your scans and your general health.
Questions for the surgeon
Will it be keyhole or open, and what would make you change to open? Will the tubes, the womb or any lymph nodes be removed? If both ovaries come out, will I go into menopause, and what can be done about it? When will the report be ready, and who will explain it?
Questions for the anaesthetist
Which of my regular medicines should I take on the morning of surgery? Who tells me when to restart the ones that are held? What pain relief will I take home?
Questions to settle at home
Who will stay with me for the first few nights? Who can do the lifting and cooking for a few weeks? If you live outside Hyderabad, ask how follow-up can be arranged closer to home.
If you have a date and nobody has explained the operation to you, call the helpline before the day.Questions we are asked
Common questions about oophorectomy surgery
How long does an oophorectomy take?
Keyhole surgery to remove one or both ovaries often takes around an hour or a little more. Open surgery, or surgery where cancer is suspected and more is removed, takes longer. Your family can wait in the hospital, and the team will usually tell them when you are in recovery.
Will I be in a lot of pain afterwards?
Most people describe soreness rather than severe pain, and regular painkillers keep it manageable. After keyhole surgery, pain in the shoulder tip from the gas is common for a short while. Tell the nurse if pain stops you walking, breathing deeply or sleeping, because the pain relief can be changed.
When can I eat and walk after surgery?
Usually the same day or the next morning. You start with sips of water, then light food as you feel ready. The nurses will help you out of bed early, because walking helps the bowels wake up and lowers the chance of clots in the legs.
How soon can I go back to work?
It depends on the operation and your job. After keyhole surgery, many people return to desk work within a few weeks. After open surgery, it is usually longer. Heavy lifting and jobs with a lot of standing need more time. Ask your surgeon for a date that fits your own work.
Will I go into menopause after the operation?
Only if both ovaries are removed before your natural menopause. Then it begins straight away, and hot flushes can start within days. If one ovary is left, or you are already past menopause, your hormones usually do not change much. Ask about symptom relief before surgery, not after.
When can we have sex again?
Most surgeons suggest waiting until the wounds have healed and any bleeding has stopped, and longer if the womb was also removed. Your surgeon will give you a timeline for your own operation. If sex is painful or dry afterwards, mention it, because there are treatments that help.
Will I need chemotherapy after the operation?
Not if the ovary was removed for a harmless cyst, or to lower an inherited risk, and the report is clear. If cancer is found, the pathology report guides whether more treatment is advised. That conversation happens at your results appointment, once the lab has finished its work.
Is oophorectomy covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Cover depends on why the operation is being done. Surgery for a cancer or suspected cancer is often covered through Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS and cashless insurers when it is part of an approved plan. Preventive surgery is less predictable. Ask the centre to check your cover in writing before the date.
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for ovarian cancer
- American Cancer Society — Surgery for Ovarian Cancer
- NHS — Ovarian cancer
- National Cancer Institute — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
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
What Salpingo-Oophorectomy MeansThe long name on your letter, in plain wordsOne Ovary or Both: What DecidesWhat the team weighs before deciding how much to removeSurgical Menopause: What Happens OvernightWhat changes if both ovaries come outThe Day of the OperationAdmission, anaesthetic and waking up in more detailComplications and Red FlagsWhich signs after surgery need a call
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