Oophorectomy is the surgical removal of the ovaries of a female animal. In the case of non-human animals, this is also called spaying. It is a form of sterilization.

The removal of the ovaries together with the Fallopian tubes is called salpingo-oophorectomy. Oophorectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy are not common forms of birth control in humans; more usual is tubal ligation, in which the Fallopian tubes are blocked but the ovaries remain intact.

In humans, oophorectomy is most usually performed together with a hysterectomy - the removal of the uterus. Its use in a hysterectomy when there are no other health problems is somewhat controversial.

In animals, spaying involves an invasive removal of the ovaries, but rarely has major complications; the superstition that it causes weight gain is not based on fact. Spaying is especially important for certain animals that require the ovum to be released at a certain interval (called estrus or "heat"), such as cats and dogs. If the cell is not released during these animal's heat, it can cause severe medical problems that can be averted by spaying or partnering the animal with a male.

Oophorectomy is sometimes referred to as castration, but that term is most often used to mean the removal of a male animal's testicles.

See also

• tubal ligation & birth control
• circumcision
• genital mutilation & female circumcision

Annette Funicello (born October 22, 1942) was one of Walt Disney's most popular Mouseketeers.

Born in Utica, New York, she took dancing and music lessons as a child and was discovered by Disney while performing in Swan Lake.

She was cast as one of the original "Mouseketeers", and went on to television roles in Zorro and Elfego Baca , and Disney-produced movies such as The Shaggy Dog, Babes in Toyland, The Misadventures of Merlin Jones , and The Monkey's Uncle .

Annette had a number of pop record hits in the late 1950's and early 1960's, including: "Tall Paul" (dedicated to Paul Anka), "First Name Initial," "O Dio Mio," "Train of Love," and "Pineapple Princess."

After maturing, she became a teen idol and went on to star in a series of "Beach Party" movies with Frankie Avalon including Beach Party , Muscle Beach Party , Bikini Beach and Beach Blanket Bingo . Funicello said in interviews that the reason she was never scantily clad in these films is because she made a promise to Walt Disney that she would never show her navel in a film. They re-united in 1987 for Back to the Beach, and toured the country as a singing act. After keeping it a secret for years, Annette announced in 1992 that she had begun suffering from multiple sclerosis.

Her autobiography, published in 1995, is A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story.