At the Mother and Child Clinic of the University Hospital in Lviv, doctors performed a complex emergency procedure and laparoscopically removed a giant pelvic cyst more than 20 cm in diameter, which had almost completely filled the patient's abdominal cavity.
The 46-year-old Lviv resident, a mother of two who asked not to be named, was brought to hospital as an emergency case with acute abdominal pain and repeated vomiting. According to the woman, the growth had been monitored for about a year and she had only been advised to undergo regular follow-up.
“I was told that the cyst just needed to be observed. I thought everything was under control. When the severe pain and vomiting suddenly began, I couldn't even imagine it was because of the cyst. The ambulance took me to hospital, and it was only there that they said I needed urgent surgery,” the patient recounts.
Obstetrician-gynaecologist Valeriia Malchevska noted that the woman was admitted in a serious condition, with intense pain and vomiting. During the examination and investigations, the medical team discovered a giant cyst that occupied almost the entire abdominal cavity. A CT scan confirmed that the growth was more than 20 cm in size and that urgent surgery was required.
A multidisciplinary team decided to perform the operation laparoscopically. The procedure was carried out in challenging conditions due to the cyst's considerable size, the patient's excessive body weight and the high risk of complications. The operation was performed by a team of obstetrician-gynaecologists together with the head of the emergency surgery department, Markiian Verkholа.
During the operation, more than 2.5 litres of fluid were removed from the cyst cavity. The doctors also found that the mass had twisted 360 degrees, which could have caused the sharp pain and required immediate intervention. Despite the complexity of the situation, the entire procedure was successfully completed laparoscopically, without a large incision in the abdominal wall.
The woman is in a satisfactory postoperative condition; she reports a significant improvement in how she feels and thanks the medical team for their coordinated work.
Doctors stress that even cysts which do not cause pronounced symptoms for a long time require regular monitoring by a specialist. Such growths can quickly increase in size, twist and lead to life-threatening complications. Timely diagnosis and planned treatment help avoid emergency operations and reduce health risks.