Ovarian Cyst Rupture: Symptoms, Pain & What to Do After Hysterectomy

Question
Hello, I am a 22 yr old female with 3 kids.  I had a complete hysterectomy on march 31st of this year, and been doing fine.  Last night I was going to do my situps like every night, but on my first sit-up, I was half way up and I felt something burst or pop  and had severe severe pain in my lower left abdomen.  I waited to see if the pain would go away, and it didn't, so I went to the local E.R and all they could find is some cysts on my ovaries and they said it looked like one had ruptured, because there was a little bit of blood showing up on the ct scan.  But they never really told me if it will heal?  whats the treatment?  could this be dangerouse?..I didn't even know I had cysts until last night. It just seems that one breaking open could be dangerous. I still have pain, although not nearly as bad as last night..will this go away on its own?  and the reason for the hyterectomy was because i had cervical dysplasia..(severe)is it possible that this is really cancer on my ovaries? or related to the dysplasia from a few months ago?           Thanks so much
                      Jaime  

Answer
Ovarian cysts are very common. Each month, when you ovulate the space where the ovum (egg) came from fills with fluid or blood and then usually (before your period) it pops and you may feel a bit of pain. Sometimes, though, the cyst does not pop, but grows bigger and then pops during the next cycle. When it pops it can cause more pain. Usually, the pain is controlled with pain killers (Tylenol or something stronger) and it goes away after a few days. If the cyst is less than 5cm in diameter, we ignore it. However, if it grows to a cyst that is larger than 6cm, it may have to be removed. Most of the time, nothing has to be done. It is a common occurrence and it is not a sign of cancer of the ovaries. A sonogram usually shows a small ovarian cyst with some fluid in the abdomen. We usually ignore it unless you have lots and lots of pain or it is greater than 6cm. Then we take it out. Don't worry about it.