It is known that as a result of ovulation, there can appear cysts, which are called functional cysts and are completely normal. In about 1 to 3 months, these cysts shrink, and if you have this type of cysts, it is good to do a check after 1-3 months to see if the cyst became smaller. In some cases, it is possible that the doctor will prescribe birth control pills, to stop ovulation and in this way the forming of the cysts will stop.
In what concerns menopausal women, they shouldn't form functional cysts. The doctor will perform a sonogram, and after that he will decide what must be done, depending on what he sees on the sonogram, on the age of the patient, and on the symptoms that can be present ( like pain, bloating, constipation, and other).
It is good to know that a sonogram uses sound waves that will give the doctor information about the size and the appearance of your cyst. The sonogram lasts about 30 minutes, it can be done through the abdomen or vagina and is not painful.

In order to see if a woman's cyst can be cancerous, the doctor may perform a test that measures the level of a protein called CA-125 in the blood. It is known that a normal CA-125 level is less than 35, but this test is not very accurate. Sometimes, women who have ovarian cancer have a normal level of CA-125, that is why this test is recommended usually only for women who are at high risk for ovarian cancer.

Depending on the age of the patient, whether is having periods, the size of the cyst, its appearance and symptoms, the doctor will decide if surgery is needed. If the cyst is functional, probably surgery is not necessary, but if it doesn't disappear after several menstrual periods, it gets bigger, or it doesn't look like a functional cyst on the sonogram, the doctor may decide that it is best to surgically remove it. Usually, there are a lot of type of ovarian cysts in women of childbearing age that require surgery, but, fortunately, at this age, cysts are almost always benign.
Women 50 to 70 years of age are at greater risk of developing ovarian cancer, and if there is found an ovarian cyst, probably the doctor will want to remove it.

If the cyst looks benign on the sonogram and is small, laparoscopy seems to be the right choice. A small incision is made just above or just below your navel and a laparoscope, which is like a slender telescope is put into the abdomen. With it, the doctor can see the organs.
If the cyst is too big to be removed with the laparoscope, or because of another reason, the doctor can suggest laparotomy. This involves bigger incisions to remove the cyst or possibly the entire ovary. While the patient is under general anesthesia, the cyst can be tested to see if it is cancerous, and if it proves it is, the doctor may need to remove both of the ovaries, the uterus, omentum and some lymph nodes. It is very important that before the surgery, women to talk with the doctor about the situations that can appear.

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