Side Effects of Ovarian Shutdown or Removal

Either medical shutdown or surgical removal of the ovaries may cause side effects.

Side effects include:

• Fertility issues: If you are pre-menopausal and go through ovarian shutdown or removal, your body will stop releasing eggs each month, and you will no longer be fertile.
  Most doctors say that cancer treatment considerations should come first, before childbearing matters. But you don't have to choose one or the other. There are other possibilities for you if you can't have your own child.
  Some women "bank" their eggs before having ovarian shutdown or removal. It's possible, but difficult, to have a pregnancy later using these banked eggs. You can also find another woman, called a gestational surrogate, to carry the pregnancy for you. Your eggs or donor eggs can be used. Find out more about different alternatives for having children.
• Bone loss: Ovarian removal or shutdown causes significant bone thinning. The younger you are when you have this treatment, the more bone loss you will experience.
• Menopausal symptoms: When you are pre-menopausal, shutting down or removing the ovaries makes you post-menopausal. You will either go through menopause overnight if you have the ovaries removed or more slowly if you take medications to shut the ovaries down. Since you will be losing most of your estrogen supply, you will begin to experience post-menopausal symptoms, such as
  • hot flashes
  • weight gain or bloating
  • vaginal dryness
  • mood swings
  • depression
  However, there are ways to cope with all these symptoms. Learn about menopausal symptoms and how to handle them.

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