TTC with 1 tube- questions

Husika18 · 10 December 2019 18:21

Dear all,

I have read so many forums after my ectopic pregnancy that I need to ask few questions as it raises concerns.

I lost my left fallopian tube after my ectopic pregnancy as many other women and although being told that I can have a successful future pregnancy there are things unclear to me.

Some women go to their doctor and get a scan to find out from which ovary they ovulate from (this option might not be available in this country I’m not sure) as it’s not always left ovary and then right,ect. Does this mean there is a high risk for another ectopic pregnancy if the fertilised egg comes from an ovary without a fallopian tube??

I’m aware the other tube can attract the egg and pick it up from the other side too but if the chances are low this can mean the egg will settle outside the womb again and that’s dangerous. No one wants to go through this nightmare again.

If it’s important to TTC when I ovulate from the side with a fallopian tube does it mean we need to be careful and only try when I ovulate from my right ovary?

Or it doesn’t really matter and the other fallopian tube must pick the egg up regardless?

Can someone please clarify as this puts more pressure on us.

Thank you so much.

Valerie

Smay88 · 10 December 2019 18:28

I’m interested to know this too.

EPT_Host_20 · 11 December 2019 20:40

Dear Husika18,

I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss,

Generally, when a person has only one fallopian tube and both ovaries, 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.

While generally it is possible to conceive after an ectopic pregnancy, the amount of time it takes varies from couple to couple. Factors include age, general health, reproductive health and how often you have sex, among other things. It may be comforting to know that 65% of women are successfully pregnant within 18 months of experiencing an ectopic pregnancy and some studies suggest this rises to around 85% after two years. In addition. having regular sex means having sex every 2/3 days throughout the month. Guidance from the UK’s National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence advises that having sex around the time when the woman ovulates causes stress and is not recommended. We here at the EPT suggest having intercourse 2/3 times between days 10-20 of their cycle when trying to conceive.

Sending much love,

Karen x

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Husika18 · 12 December 2019 01:10

Hi Karen,

Thank you for your reply.

Conservative estimates suggest that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15 to 20% of the time.

Now does this mean that there is only up to 20% chance for the conception to happen? For the remaining 80% the sperm wouldn’t meet the egg? Or there is an 80% chance that the egg would settle down outside the womb if doesn’t manage to descend to the remaining tube?

Sorry about all these questions I just really need to understand the process.

Thank you for your time.

Valerie

EPT_Host_20 · 15 December 2019 10:24

Dear Valerie,

Please do continue to ask questions, that is what we are here for.

The estimate that suggests that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15 to 20% of the time.

Means that there is a 15-20% chance that the egg produced on the tubeless side will be attracted to and caught by the fimbriae on the opposite tube and find its way in that tube to meet the sperm. Eggs produced from the side with your remaining tube will act normally.

Eggs released by the tubeless side and not caught by the remaining tube will be absorbed into the pelvic cavity as they have not met any sperm so will not develop.

I have taken this information from our website and I hope it helps with the statistics-

The fallopian tubes and uterus are lined with little receptor cells that, at the point of ovulation, are sent a chemical signal that ‘switches’ them on and they emit a signal that attracts a similar receptor in the egg and in the sperm to come and meet in the same place, i.e. the fallopian tube. The fallopian tubes are not attached to the ovaries and, also at the point of ovulation, some very delicate structures called the fimbriae on the end of the fallopian tube 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).

This means that, if you have only one fallopian 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. This means that rather than your fertility being halved, it is more the case that the opportunity to conceive 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 cycle.