OOPHORECTOMY

Course overview

OOPHORECTOMY IS THE SURGICAL REMOVAL OF ONE OR BOTH OVARIES AND CAN BE DONE LAPAROSCOPICALLY UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. IT MAY BE PERFORMED FOR OVARIAN PATHOLOGY (SUCH AS A NEOPLASM), RISK-REDUCING PURPOSES (REDUCING THE RISK OF REOPERATION OR CANCER), OR FERTILITY PRESERVATION. IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS SPECIFICALLY, OVARIAN SPARING SURGERY IS A VIABLE APPROACH IN MOST CASES OF TORSION AND BENIGN OVARIAN MASSES. THE OVARIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SEX HORMONE SYNTHESIS; THEREFORE, THE RISK OF BILATERAL OOPHORECTOMY MUST BE WEIGHED AGAINST THE BENEFITS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE OVARIES, INDICATIONS, AND TECHNIQUE FOR OOPHORECTOMY, AND COMPLICATIONS OF GYNECOLOGIC ADNEXAL SURGERY.