Dr. Cassandra Niemi's Guide to Surgery for Ovarian Cancer

The first step after an initial diagnosis of ovarian cancer will be a conversation about whether surgery -- to remove as much of the tumor as possible -- is a good option.

The goal with ovarian cancer surgery is to remove as much of the disease as possible; ideally, surgeons are aiming to get a woman to the point where there is no evidence of disease.

Most of the recovery from ovarian cancer surgery will be done outside of the hospital. If all goes well with surgery, a woman can expect to be discharged from the hospital in two to five days.