Ovarian Ablation
Oophorectomy
is surgery to permanently remove your ovaries. It causes surgical menopause and ends your fertility. If you have an oophorectomy, you will no longer be able to become pregnant.
How Ovarian Ablation Works
Hormone receptor-positive breast cancers need estrogen to grow. Removing the ovaries through surgery stops your body from making most of its estrogen, which helps to slow or stop the cancer.
Who Gets Ovarian Ablation
Oophorectomy is often used if you are at high risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer because of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation. It may be done no matter what your menopausal status, but is most often recommended if you are premenopausal.
How Ovarian Ablation Is Performed
Oophorectomy is a one-time surgery. Your doctor may also recommend treatment with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor along with oophorectomy.
In an oophorectomy, the ovaries are removed through the vagina via a cut in the lower abdomen or a small cut at the top of the vagina using a laparoscope, a viewing tube to see the structures within the abdomen and pelvis.
Side Effects and Things to Remember
An oophorectomy will cause you to go into menopause suddenly instead of slowly over time as you would with natural menopause. It causes permanent infertility.
The other possible side effects of oophorectomy are:
- hot flashes
- night sweats
- mood changes
- vaginal dryness
- bone thinning
- loss of sexual interest
Your doctor, pharmacist or nurse can help you manage your side effects. You can also go to our section on Side Effects for more information.