Oophorectomy Oophorectomy Oophorectomy (from Greek , , 'egg-bearing' + , , 'a cutting out of') is the surgical removal of an ovary or ovaries. The surgery is also called ovariectomy, but this term is mostly used in reference to animals, e.g. the surgical removal of ovaries from laboratory animals. Removal of the ovaries of females is the biological equivalent of castration of males; the term "castration" is only occasionally used in the medical literature to refer to oophorectomy of women. In veterinary medicine, the removal of ovaries and uterus is called ovariohysterectomy (spaying) and is a form of sterilization. Partial oophorectomy
Oophorectomy ovarian cancer, such as high-risk BRCA mutation carriers and women with endometriosis who also suffer from frequent ovarian cysts. Bilateral oophorectomy has been traditionally done in the belief that the benefit of preventing ovarian cancer would outweigh the risks associated with removal of ovaries. However, it is now clear that prophylactic oophorectomy without a reasonable medical indication decreases long-term survival rates substantially and has deleterious long-term effects on health and well-being even in post-menopausal women. The procedure has been postulated as a possible treatment method for female sex offenders. Oophorectomy can significantly improve survival for women with high-risk BRCA mutations,