This guide provides an overview of oophorectomy, a surgical procedure that involves the removal of one or both of the ovaries. It explains the reasons why oophorectomy may be recommended, the risks and benefits associated with the procedure,
Oophorectomy or Oöphorectomy, historically also called ovariotomy, is the surgical removal of an ovary or ovaries. The surgery is also called ovariectomy, but this term is mostly used in reference to non-human 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.