Oophorectomy

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


Ash Sharqiyah, Saudi Arabia

Map showing province

Ash Sharqiyah, known as Eastern Province is the largest province of Saudi Arabia, located in the east of the country on the coasts of the Persian Gulf, and has borders with Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. It has an area of 710,000 kmē and a population of 2,886,700 (1999). Its capital is Dammam. A few kilometres from Dammam is the second city, Al-Khobar, which is more modern and more westernised than Dammam. The King Fahd Causeway, completed in the 1980s, links the Eastern Province to Bahrain. Typically, the causeway is crowded with expats and Saudis on a Thursday afternoon as they all head for the clubs and nightlife in Saudi Arabia's more tolerant neighbour.

The Eastern Province is largely Shi'ite, which makes it a very dangerous place for the ruling Sunni family to visit. Some villages are virtually no-go areas for the security forces.

Saudi Aramco, the oil producing company of the Kingdom, is based in Dhahran, which is located in the Eastern Province, and most decisions on oil policy and production are made there. Saudi Arabia's main oil and gas fields are located either in the province or offshore. Petroleum from the fields is shipped to dozens of countries from the oil port of Ras Tanura and is also used as feedstock in numerous industrial plants in Jubail.

The Kingdom's second major product, dates, is also a large part of the Eastern Province's economy. Every year thousands of tonnes of dates are harvested from the date palms in the giant oasis of Al-Ahsa , which is south of Dammam.

Cities



Provinces of Saudi Arabia Flag of Saudi Arabia
Al Bahah | Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah | Al Jawf | Al Madinah | Al Qasim | Ar Riyad |
Ash Sharqiyah | 'Asir | Ha'il | Jizan | Makkah | Najran | Tabuk
Saudi Arabia