When is oophorectomy recommended for ovarian cancer?

The operation may remove one ovary or both ovaries, depending on the cancer's location, extent and your plans for fertility. In many cases, surgeons assess nearby organs and tissues during the same operation because ovarian cancer can involve more than the ovary. Tissue removed is examined to identify the cancer type and guide further treatment.

Surgery may be planned before drug treatment or after an initial course of treatment. The choice depends on scans, examination findings, your general health and whether the surgeon expects the visible cancer can be removed safely. The overall plan may include chemotherapy or other medicines.

Ask the gynaecological oncology team what the operation is intended to remove, whether fertility-sparing treatment is realistic, and whether a larger procedure may be needed. Discuss recovery, menopause if both ovaries are removed, blood-clot prevention and how treatment will be sequenced. Bring medication details and tell the team about previous abdominal operations. See [Ovarian Cancer](/conditions/ovarian-cancer/) and [Oophorectomy](/treatments/gynaecological-surgery/oophorectomy/).

Before treatment, report increasing abdominal swelling, persistent pelvic pain, vomiting, inability to eat or drink, or new breathlessness. After an operation, seek urgent advice for fever, heavy bleeding, severe or escalating abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, wound separation, chest pain, breathlessness or a painful swollen leg.

Will one ovary or both be removed? Is surgery planned before or after medicines? What other tissues might be examined or removed? Could treatment preserve fertility? What changes should I expect if both ovaries are removed, and who will support recovery at home?