American physician Ephraim McDowell performed the world's first removal of an ovarian tumor.

Ephraim McDowell was an American physician and pioneer surgeon. The first person to successfully remove an ovarian tumor, he has been called "the father of ovariotomy" as well as founding father of abdominal surgery.

Ovarian tumors, or ovarian neoplasms, are tumors in the ovary. Not all are ovarian cancer. They consist of mainly solid tissue, while ovarian cysts contain fluid.