The goal of ovarian cystectomy is to preserve as much of your fertility as possible. If the surgeon has no choice but to remove one of your ovaries along with your cyst, then the remaining ovary should still release eggs and hormones as normal and you should still be able to get pregnant. If both ovaries are removed, then this puts the body into menopause and you will be unable to get pregnant.
If your ovarian cysts are caused by an underlying health condition, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) then treating these conditions can help to reduce the likelihood of harmful cysts from developing and help to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Laparoscopy can be used to treat endometriosis and a minor surgical procedure called laparoscopic ovarian drilling, which involves using heat or a laser to destroy part of the ovary, can help with PCOS if ovulation medicine has not worked.
It is also important to practice safe sex with new partners and seek treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This is because chlamydia and gonorrhoea, two common STIs, can lead to complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility in women if left untreated. A lot of people do not display any symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhoea, so it is important to get tested.
Other things you can do to enhance your fertility include maintaining a healthy weight, particularly as obesity raises the risk of PCOS, quitting smoking, cutting alcohol consumption, stopping using illegal drugs, keeping stress levels in check and eating a healthy diet.