Hi Tulip2025,
I am so sorry to hear you have suffered this ectopic pregnancy and loss. Your surgery is still very recent, and it’s very natural to have many questions. An ectopic pregnancy is both a physical and emotional trauma. I will do my best to answer your questions.
First, I want you to know there is nothing you did to cause an ectopic pregnancy, nor sadly, anything we can do to prevent it. If surgery was the option for its resolution, then that was the necessary medical decision to ensure your best outcomes.
In regards to your future fertility, it is affected less than assumed. If the tube is removed, when a person has only one fallopian tube they are still able to get pregnant from an egg in the opposite ovary as an egg from one ovary can travel down the tube on the other side. Conservative estimates suggest that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15 to 20% of the time. This means that rather than your fertility being halved it has been affected by around 30% or, looking at it another way, it means we have around a 70% opportunity of conception with each menstrual (period) cycle.
We naturally assume that we will ovulate from alternative ovaries each month (left ovary, right ovary, left, right etc.) This is not true and varies from woman to woman. Some women will ovulate from the same side each month with occasional ovulation from the other side, while others will ovulate randomly from side to side.
Both ovaries compete each month to produce an egg and usually, the one that is ‘pulling ahead in the race’ continues while the other one gives up (but not always – sometimes women will ovulate from both ovaries in one cycle or twice from one ovary but these are rare events that explain how we get non-identical twins naturally). It depends on which ovary contains the egg that is at the right stage of development at the point in time where the woman is due to ovulate and is nothing to do with a set pattern. The side we ovulate from does not strictly matter as an egg from one ovary can travel down the tube on the other side.
In my own case, with two ectopics and a right tube removed, I conceived from my left side tube.
I know this can be a confusing time. I encourage you to write your questions down and take them to your doctor at your next appointment. Please know that we are here for you as long as you need.
With good wishes,
Michele
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
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