New study reveals: The routine gynecological surgery that may harm fertility

Gynecological surgeries to remove ovarian cysts are considered common and sometimes necessary procedures, but a new study by a researcher from the Ziv Medical Center (Poriya), in collaboration with a researcher from Yale University, warns that for some women they may lead to irreversible damage to fertility and early menopause. In an article published in one of the world's leading medical journals, the researchers argue that this is a "transparent injury" that is almost undocumented in health systems and may remain undetected for years.

"The transparent injury": When statistics hide the risk

According to the researchers, general data apparently indicate that the age of menopause for women remains stable and even rises, but this picture may be misleading. They claim that a subgroup of women who undergo surgeries to remove endometriomas (ovarian cysts caused by endometriosis) may lose a significant portion of their egg reserve following the procedure.

The article explains that damage to the ovarian reserve may be caused by the unintentional removal of healthy ovarian tissue, damage to the blood supply to the ovary, or thermal damage from surgical instruments. The surgeries themselves are usually performed for justified medical reasons, such as severe pain, infertility, or suspicion of malignancy, but the researchers emphasize that their potential impact on the woman's health in the long term must also be taken into account.

"While in oncological treatments the damage to fertility is expected, monitored, and managed as an integral part of the treatment, in routine gynecological surgeries there is currently no systematic monitoring of the procedure's effect on the ovarian reserve," the authors note.

As a result, women who have been harmed—especially after repeated surgeries or surgeries on both ovaries—are "swallowed" within the broad statistical data and are not identified as a risk group.

The researchers emphasize that the significance is not limited only to damage to fertility. Early menopause may also be associated with an increased risk of heart and blood vessel diseases, osteoporosis, and other health consequences. Therefore, their conclusion is not to avoid the surgeries, but to change the way decisions are made. According to them, alongside symptom relief, the possible long-term consequences for ovarian function should also be weighed in advance, and more organized and accurate medical monitoring should be implemented for women undergoing these procedures.