Ovarian cyst sclerotherapy: What to expect?

copperraven53 said:The link isn't working, but you were likely thinking of this article:

Your gynecologist was slightly off. Mercury Hospital still practices this; I have an appointment scheduled for October 1st, so they certainly wouldn't book me for something they don't perform. 😁As for what you mentioned regarding tissue analysis, that’s standard practice during a puncture too—the aspirated content is sent off for testing.

Risks exist, obviously, but they apply to laparoscopy and laparotomy alike. No surgery is ever a guaranteed safe bet, no matter how routine it might seem on paper.

Naturally, my doctor would prefer performing a laparoscopy on me—he explicitly said so—but it's simply not an option because I had surgery as an infant. That's why I had to go under a laparotomy for my first cyst.

Now, the doctor wants to avoid another laparotomy altogether. During my first surgery, they worked on both ovaries, and once tissue has been incised, it's no longer pristine. He's concerned that cutting into it again could compromise my chances of conceiving, or even necessitate removing an ovary. Consequently, he recommended this specific procedure and advised me to try for a pregnancy as soon as possible afterward (which is my primary goal).

Of course I'm anxious; it’s far from a standard procedure. That’s exactly why I’d love to see more women chime in here—anyone who actually has firsthand experience with this specific approach.

I had an emergency C-section, so my incision runs vertically from the navel rather than horizontally. Because of that scarring, laparoscopy wasn't recommended for me, only sclerotherapy. And now, I'm left in this state of uncertainty.

Sandra Anderson31 said:I ended up having an emergency C-section, which meant they had to make a vertical incision from my navel instead of the standard horizontal one. Because of that scarring, my doctors advised against laparoscopic surgery and recommended sclerotherapy instead. So, here I am, dealing with all the complications.

My apologies,
I stumbled into this thread by mistake; this is actually a different topic.

Sandra Anderson31 said:My bad,
this is actually a different thread, I totally posted this in the wrong spot by mistake.

It’s all good, you’re doing fine. Honestly, my OB-GYN told me they don't really recommend laparoscopy if there's already scar tissue involved—like, I had surgery when I was basically a baby, and you've got that vertical scar from your C-section. Apparently, once tissue is cut, it never heals back exactly the way it was before, and for laparoscopy, you need everything to be super precise.

Is there anyone else out there dealing with the exact same headache I am?

Sandra Anderson31 said:Anyone else dealing with stuff like this?

Really hoping someone chimes in here.

Anyway, I was reading that article about the procedure, and apparently, some patients ended up with cysts that just... filled right back up later. 😢

Sadly, nobody actually knows why that happens.

I guess endometriosis is still one of those total mysteries. Nobody really gets why these cysts show up or how to stop them from coming back, which is honestly the worst part. 🤷

copperraven53 said:...
endometriosis remains such an enigma. No one truly understands the underlying cause behind why these cysts develop, nor how to actually prevent them. That’s really the most frustrating part. 🤷

It is important to remember that endometriosis and cysts aren't necessarily the same thing. While a cyst can be caused by endometriosis, the two don't always have to be linked.

ironsurfer8 said:Look, endometriosis and cysts aren't even the same thing. Sure, a cyst can be caused by endometriosis, but they don't always have anything to do with each other. I guess.

When I mentioned cysts, I was talking about endometriosis cysts.

Alright, here’s the fix:

Endometriosis is still this total mystery. Honestly, nobody actually knows what the real cause is, I guess. Endometriosis cysts. Just great. The real nightmare is when those fibers start forming—figuring out how to stop that from happening is the worst part, I guess.

You have my full support—hang in there! I’m also dealing with endometriosis. I went through a standard surgery and I'm currently on hormone therapy, praying this won't come back. The waiting period was incredibly stressful. Honestly, the hardest part is remembering how much pain I was in for a month after the surgery; I couldn't even get out of bed. And the year leading up to the surgery, when I first found out about the endometriosis? That was brutal. Just constant, unbearable pain, popping three or four Voltaren pills a day, and multiple trips to the ER because the agony was just too much. Then there's the scar that stays with you forever, serving as a reminder of the worst year of my life. But I truly believe things will settle down eventually. Life throws much harder punches than this, and if anything, this experience has just made me stronger.

Linda Reyes3 said:Ladies, you have my full support—hang in there. I deal with endometriosis too; I had the standard surgery and I'm currently managing through hormone therapy. I’m just praying this won't resurface. The waiting period was an absolute nightmare of stress. It’s hard not to dwell on the fact that I was bedridden with pain for a month following the procedure, or the grueling year leading up to the diagnosis when I first realized what I was fighting. Those pains were unbearable—I was popping three or four Voltaren pills a day just to function and ended up in the ER more than once because the agony was too much to handle. Then there’s the permanent scar, a constant reminder of the worst year of my life. But I suppose everything eventually settles into place; life throws much heavier punches than this. If anything, this experience just made me tougher.

REGARDS, WAS THE ENDOMETRIOSIS SEVERE?

Hey girls, checking in after my procedure to share how it went 🙂

So, I was supposed to go in on Friday, October 1st, but they pushed me back because there wasn't an open bed, so they just sent me home for the weekend. I got back to the hospital yesterday morning at 7 AM. Changed into a nightgown and just hung out in bed waiting. They took me in for the procedure at 10 AM, and I was already back in my room by 10:30. Basically, the whole thing takes about 20-30 minutes. They did it in the OBGYN clinic at the department, using the same position as a standard exam (legs up in the stirrups). The anesthesiologist gave me this injection that made me feel super dizzy, and then they put me under with gas through a mask. So yeah, they didn't do local anesthesia, it was general. Oh, and I did mention I had a cold, but they were like, "It's fine, as long as you aren't seriously sick," and they didn't need to intubate me.

I gotta say, I handled this anesthesia way better than the IV one I got during my laparotomy last year—that one left me feeling incredibly nauseous and miserable all day long.

I don't remember much after that, but basically, while they're watching with the ultrasound, they puncture the cyst with a needle and drain the fluid. Then they inject 96% ethyl alcohol into the empty cyst sac, which destroys the cells on contact and makes the walls stick together. The alcohol stays inside for about 5 minutes, depending on how big the cyst is, and then they clear it out.

When I woke up, they took me back to my room. You have to lie there for about 2 hours without getting up, eating, or drinking anything. As for pain, I didn't really feel anything while lying there; I felt a little twinge in my right ovary when sitting up or coughing, but otherwise, it was great. It didn't even feel like I’d been "operated" on.🙂 I had some bleeding afterward, which is totally normal, so definitely bring pads with you to the hospital. The bleeding was kind of heavy, like a period, but by that evening it had mostly stopped and turned into just a little spotting when I went to the bathroom.

They discharged me this morning for home recovery. Just a few days of rest and an oral antibiotic, and then I can get back to my normal routine—I can even lift heavy stuff, which isn't necessary like it was after the laparotomy.

All in all, the procedure wasn't traumatic at all. 😁

Now, the other question is how successful it actually is. There's no 100% guarantee that the cyst won't refill. With small cysts, the alcohol destroys the walls, so recurrences aren't really likely. But with cysts larger than 100 mL, the alcohol probably doesn't hit the entire wall, so sometimes they come back.

Sandra Anderson31, maybe that's why yours refilled. 🤷 Mine was 3.5 cm, so even for me, there's no telling what happens next or if it'll fill up again. 🤷

But hey, let's just say it's cleared out for now. Now I have some time to try to get pregnant. My doctor told me not to try this month, though, since we aren't sure how the ovulation will be or how the egg will react to all that strong alcohol. But he told me to get to work starting next month. 😁

So, starting in November, I'm gonna be having sex like rabbits 😬 and fingers crossed for a positive result ASAP, so we can stay ahead of the endometriosis. 🙂

Thanks for the support, kisses!😘

copperraven53 said:...

I was actually just wondering how everything turned out.
Fingers crossed that everything stays stable until you finally see that positive test. 🙂
See you over in the pregnancy group! 😍

Angela Wright said:I was just wondering how everything went.
Fingers crossed everything stays healthy until that positive test shows up 🙂
Catch ya on the pregnancy boards 😍

Thanks 😁

Me too. I want a baby so bad, like, seriously bad 🎉🙂

copperraven53 said:Alright ladies, checking in after my procedure to share how it went. 🙂

I was originally scheduled for Friday, October 1st, but they bumped me because they were out of beds, so I spent the weekend at home. I headed back to the hospital yesterday morning at 7:00 AM. After changing into a gown, I just waited in bed. They took me in at 10:00 AM and had me back in my room by 10:30. Basically, the whole thing takes about 20 to 30 minutes. It was done in the gynecological clinic area using the standard exam position. The anesthesiologist gave me an injection that made my head spin like crazy, and then they put me under with a gas mask. They didn't do local anesthesia; it was full general anesthesia. I did mention I had a bit of a cold, but they told me it wouldn't matter as long as I wasn't seriously ill—they didn't need to intubate me.

I have to say, this anesthesia was much easier to handle than the intravenous stuff I got during my laparotomy last year; that left me feeling nauseous and miserable all day long.

The rest is a bit fuzzy, but essentially, while under ultrasound guidance, they puncture the cyst with a needle to drain the fluid. Then, they inject 96% ethyl alcohol into the empty cyst cavity. Once that alcohol hits the epithelium, it destroys the cells and causes the cyst walls to stick together. The alcohol stays inside for about five minutes, depending on the size, before being cleared out.

When I woke up, they brought me back to my room, where you’re required to lie still for about two hours without eating or drinking anything. As for pain, I felt fine while lying there; I felt a slight twinge in my right ovary when sitting up or coughing, but otherwise, it was great. It didn't feel like "surgery" at all. 🙂 I had some bleeding afterward, which is expected, so definitely bring pads with you to the hospital. It felt like a period, but by that evening, it had mostly stopped, leaving only light spotting when I went to the restroom.

They discharged me this morning for home recovery. A few days of rest and some oral antibiotics, and then I can get back to my normal routine—even lifting heavy things, which isn't a concern like it was after the laparotomy.

All in all, the procedure wasn't a traumatic experience at all. 😁

Now, the real question is whether it actually works. There's no 100% guarantee that the cyst won't refill. With smaller cysts, the alcohol destroys the walls effectively, making recurrences unlikely. However, with cysts larger than 100 mL, the alcohol might not make complete contact with the entire wall, so they can sometimes come back.

Sandra Anderson31, that might be why yours refilled. 🤷 Mine was 3.5 cm, so even for me, nothing is certain regarding whether it will fill up again or not. 🤷

But let's just say it's cleared for now. This gives me a window to try to get pregnant. My doctor advised against trying this month, though, since we don't know how the ovulation or the egg will react to that harsh alcohol. But he told me to go for it next month.😁

So, starting November 11th, I’m planning to be back in the bedroom playing rabbit 😬—keep your fingers crossed for a positive result soon so we can get ahead of this endometriosis. 🙂

Thanks to everyone for the support, sending love 😘

THAT'S GREAT NEWS THAT EVERYTHING WENT WELL.
The only thing I don't get is why there was bleeding afterward, because I didn't experience any at all...

I’m genuinely glad to hear everything went smoothly, copperraven53—and I really appreciate you sharing your experience here. It’s helpful for other women to get a clearer, more detailed look at what this procedure actually entails before they decide to go through with it. 🙂

Sandra Anderson31 said:GREAT, GLAD EVERYTHING WENT WELL.
The only thing I don't get is the bleeding afterward, because I didn't have any at all......

I mean, my doctor said that's totally normal 🤷 Like, after my laparotomy, I didn't bleed one bit, but the woman sharing my room did. I guess it just depends on the person.

I bled a little after this procedure, but not for long, just a few hours. Now? Nothing. Not even a drop. 🙂

Any updates on your end, hun? Did you end up getting a second opinion?

Sophia Wells72 said:So glad everything went smoothly, copperraven53, and thanks for sharing your experience here so other women can see what this procedure is actually like. 🙂

Yeah, just so if anyone ends up in my situation, they won't feel totally lost like I did. If I remember anything else, I'll post it. 🙂

copperraven53 said:I’m not so sure; my doctor told me that's perfectly normal. 🤷 For instance, after my laparotomy, I didn't bleed at all, yet the woman sharing my hospital room did. It seems to be one of those things where everyone reacts differently.

After my procedure, I had some bleeding, though it was brief—only a few hours. Now, there isn't even a drop. 🙂

Any updates on your end, dear? Have you managed to get a second opinion?

I just wanted to share this so if anyone else finds themselves in my shoes, they don't feel completely lost like I did. If anything else comes to mind, I'll post it. 🙂

Not yet. Unfortunately, I had two different appointments scheduled for today.
One was over at the Petrov clinic and the other was with the pediatric specialist, who concluded today that my little one has overcome every obstacle and is now a healthy child.
Naturally, the latter was the priority, so I chose to come here instead.
We are absolutely overjoyed; seeing five years of hard work finally pay off makes everything worth it. 🙂
Now, I can finally turn my attention back to my own health issues.

Hey Sandra Anderson31, congrats, finally some good news, nice one 👍 🙂

Well, I have to say, congratulations to you too! 🙂

copperraven53, would you mind clearing out your inbox or deleting a few old messages? It’s currently full, so I can't seem to get a message through to you.

Drained 😁

Hey... hi Sandra Anderson31, I just caught your question. My cyst was 7 cm when they found it. When I first got diagnosed, it was only 3 cm, but it just kept growing until it hit that 7 cm mark. At that point, the doctors decided a traditional open surgery was the best move since they couldn't get it out via laparoscopy. Honestly, with the classic approach, I felt much more confident that they actually cleared all those lesions off my ovary.