I recently had an ectopic pregnancy on my right tube which was removed last monday and I am recovering from the opp where they removed the pregnancy and the right tube that it was in.
I have had some mixed messages about statistically what fertility is after having a tube removed. One doctor said it was not as reduced as you would expect at 10-15%. However literature from the miscarriage association I was given suggests reduced by 50% and info from the ectopic pregnancy trust suggests about 35% reduced. I am mainly worried that I may have another ectopic as i understand there is a 10-20% chance of this having had one before, and then being left with no remaining tubes.
A friend of mine has advised me to freeze some eggs soon incase something goes wrong again that makes me infertile - she told me she knows someone who had second ectopic pregnancy in the other tube, so ended up with both tubes removed and was unable to have IVF as they could not remove the eggs after she had had the ectopic, and regrets not having her eggs frozen before having the second ectopic. I don’t really understand why egg removal would of been possible before the second ectopic and not the second. Perhaps the operation caused some damage to the ovaries. Does anyone know why this may be the case?
If I knew there was no difference I would think to try again naturally without freezing eggs as a precaution, and if an ectopic did happen again then to try IVF. However this has got me thinking it could be a good idea to do this before trying again having heard of this experience (though I wish I knew more details as it doesn’t quite make sense to me). I will discuss this with my GP Friday next week but wondered if anyone could shed any light on this or point me in the direction of any more information before then. However even having eggs frozen sounds like quite a process in itself having hormone injections and stimulating the ovaries which will come with their own risks.
I also know there is a good chance of it all going smoothly next time around but having experienced something where the odds are so low - 1 in 100, a statistic of 20 in 100 is more frightening!
Also I was informed that eggs from either ovary can travel down the remaining fallopian tube as they ‘float around’ between the ovaries and pick them up, which is why fertility is reduced less than you would expect - can anyone point me in the direction of info so I can read more about this?
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss. You are among women who have walked a similar path here and you are welcome to stay with us for as long as you need. I also experienced an ectopic pregnancy and had my right tube removed so understand something of what you are going through. Thinking to the future can be nerve wracking especially for someone like me who likes to feel in control. In my early days of recovery, I spent days upon days looking for information, stats… even researching fertility treatments!! An ectopic is an overwhelming experience and I wanted some semblance control over my future as I had just had none over what had happened.
I do not know a great deal about egg freezing so am afraid cannot comment on the process. What I can say is generally, when a person has only one fallopian tube they are still able to get pregnant from an egg at the opposite ovary as an egg from one ovary can travel down the tube on the other side. The fallopian tubes are not attached to the ovaries and, at the point of ovulation, some very delicate structures called the fimbriae begin to move gently creating a slight vacuum to suck the egg toward the end of the tube it is nearest to (like lots of little fingers waving and drawing the egg towards it). So, if you have only one tube then there is only one set of receptors working and one set of fimbriae creating a vacuum and so the egg is much more likely to find its way to that tube, whichever ovary it is produced from. Conservative estimates suggest that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15 to 20% of the time.
The time it generally takes to conceive successfully after an ectopic pregnancy varies considerably from woman to woman. This can be affected by factors including age, general health, reproductive health and how often you have intercourse (sex). Unfortunately, we don’t have access to your and your partner’s medical records to comment on these but it is usually possible to conceive and, overall, 65% of women are healthily pregnant within 18 months of an ectopic pregnancy. Some studies suggest this figure rises to around 85% over two years. It may be comforting to know I have since conceived successfully after my ectopic pregnancy. These numbers are on our side and although I cannot say definitively what might be ahead of you, many women go on to conceive without having to have eggs frozen.
I hope this helps and wish you well.
Munira
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Munira, thank you for your reply. It really is quite a distressing experience to have. It is reassuring to hear that others have gone on to have healthy pregnancies following an ectopic, it does highlight the odds are more weighted positively when I can get caught up in the 'what ifs!". It is also reassuring to hear you also looked into fertility treatments! I get the impression people think I am overly worrying but it feels it has helped to know what may lie ahead. Knowledge does help me to feel prepared somehow for what may lie ahead as I have had some time to process things that might happen before they do. I guess it is a way of feeling more in control.
At the same time I think I also need to visualise a positive outcome as my dad has been encouraging, as focusing on negative outcomes may not help and cause stress. Difficult balance to strike I find. The good news is we conceived in the first month of not using contraception and the laparoscopy didn’t show anything else untoward. This is in our favour.
I have been feeling like I want to ttc after the two period wait but we also want to go travelling to America to visit ageing family. Knowing I will need a 6 week scan as I am at more risk means we couldn’t go away if we ttc and the thought of waiting until July ttc again feels like an age right now. I guess it may give more time to heal on the plus side.
I just wanted to write to you to let you know how you are feeling is how I felt when I had my ectopic in Nov 2013. I felt frantic at the thought of not being able to cinceive, it stressed me out and I was constantly looking at other options and looking at statistics - how you are are feeling is normal, I felt like I had had something taken away from me and I desperately needed to find a way to get it back!
I just wanted to let you know that I panicked about the statistics, it seems impossible my body would work again after it had failed before. After my op I went to the gp numerous times to because I only had 2 periods in about 6 months - the gp was very helpful and sent me for tests which confirmed
I had pcos and wasnt ovulating - I had been on the contraceptive pill for
So long before the ectopic it had masked it. To cut a long story short I broke down and thought how will it ever be possible if I’m also not having periods. The GP said we could look at fertility options whenever we were ready, either I could take some medicine to help with my ovulation for 6 months and if nothing worked I could then have IVF . I felt relieved but then thought about how intrusive this was after everything my husband and I had already been through. Together we decided enough was enough, let’s stop focussing on it for the rest of the year, go on holiday, enjoy our lives , stay positive and relaxed and we would go down the fertility route the following year. We took a break. I stopped obsessing . We went on holiday and when I returned I discovered I was pregnant - I had not had a period for 4 months so I had no idea I had even ovulated. This pregnancy is healthy and I am due to give birth in 5 weeks.
I just had to let you know this so you knew that against all odds our bodies are incredible - do what your dad says and stay positive, be kind to yourself, relax and enjoy the spring with your husband , keep researching if that’s what is helping you get through your days. However you have your baby, naturally or through fertility treatment I wish you so much luck and I just wrote so you could remind yourself that just because this has happened it does not mean this is the end to having a baby naturally and I hope I am some proof of
That for
You. You conceived so quickly last time and this is fantastic.
Thanks for your reply Rhi. It is great to hear you are about to have a baby, and with so many complications before this pregnancy that really is great news. I am very happy for you And wishing you well for the birth and beyond!
I have been looking into the egg freezing option and have found a more natural way that it is possible, as I am not keen on risks with the use of the drugs. I don’t think I will decide to do the egg freezing thing after all but want to know I am making an informed decision not to. Feel like I still need a little time to be sure. However my partner (and my dad) feel that focusing on this and thinking it may come to IVF may be focusing on the negative too much and ‘feeding’ this possibility making it more likely to go wrong- they are believers in the power of the mind. This has upset me a lot because I feel like its fair enough to be informed about these things, plus I find it interesting. I am less fearful of it all going wrong now and actually feel quite positive about it happening naturally, but the egg freezing thing feels like a bit of an insurance policy. My step mum is supportive of my researching this (she suggested it). Perhaps I am flitting between these fears/positive thinking. This idea of the power of the mind is making me anxious about what I think now - surely that is not helpful either!! Also wondering if my hormones are kicking back in again as been feeling grumpy for no obvious reason yesterday - hopefully aunty flow is on her way.
Just thought I would post an update - I found out yesterday that my friend had got it wrong about her friend having 2 ectopics and then not being able to do IVF. So feeling much more positive about that front!
And wishing you well for the birth and beyond!