# IVF with one ovary



## Fiona M (Jan 20, 2007)

Can anyone give advice?  I am starting ivf in May and had a scan on Friday which showed up 2 choc cysts on my right ovary.  The doc says that my right ovary will be no good and they will just use the follicles from my left ovary.  I am just worried though as there obviously won't be as many with only using the one side.  Do you think I still have a good chance of it working?  What is the average follicles from one ovary?

They won't remove the cyst due to problems in previous surgey to remove endo.


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## starfish (Jan 6, 2007)

Hi Fiona

I'm in a similar position to you. My consultant has not said that to me about the one ovary 'being no good' and that he will only use follicles from the ok one.

Basically the drugs that you start on with IVF to down regulate your cycle can help to get rid of the choc. cysts. (that what I was told anyway - and mine have shrunk) 

I am under the impression that even with choc. cysts you can still develop follicles which will have eggs in (hopefully anyway). I have had IUI and when I have had scans I have still had follicles on the ovary where I had choc. cysts. 

I think they are a problem with treatment like IUI, but shouldn't be with IVF. You should still get follicles on both ovaries, you might get a few more on the one without the cysts, but it makes no difference. 

I know you have a good chance - be       

Some women end up having up to 20 follicles when doing IVF others have 10, 8, 15 it all depends on the individual. I hope this has helped. I really do not know why your consultant told you that. I would question it or get a second opinion.

Good luck with it, I have just started IVF (1st time ) and are hopefully about to start stimming I too have choc. cysts)

CXXX


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## Fiona M (Jan 20, 2007)

Thanks that makes me feel a bit better.  I am on zoladex just now anyway so hopefully that will be helping to shrink the cyst as we speak!!

Good luck with your ivf.  I start the medication the end of May.  It's just a waiting game now!

Fiona


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## joeyt (Dec 2, 2006)

Hi Fiona, i wouldn't worry too much... i have only 1 left ovary having had the right one and tube removed years ago. i was put on low dose,short cycle drugs and my left ovary produced 6 follices, it might not seem a lot but it is enough...my clinic go for quality rather than quantity.out of the 6, 2 fertilized and i had them put back in ... just have faith !!!!!honestly i wouldn't focus too much on how many you produce,the energy is better focused on believing it will work... your clinic will monitor closely and adjust the drugs accordingly.... but remember it only takes 1 ... best of luck


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## Fiona M (Jan 20, 2007)

Thanks, I am trying to think more positive.  It can't be that bad as they never said at any point it's not worth while going through with it so I will think lots of   .

How did you get on with your ivf?


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## Sencybil1 (Sep 4, 2006)

Many (most??) people have a much better response from one ovary than the other - including me.  I think I had 4 eggs from one side and 13 from the other - so quite an imbalance.  And as has been said, it really is quality that counts.  Of my 17, 7 were not able to be ICSI'd and 3 of the 10 good ones didn't fertilise, so 7 good ones would have been equivalent!  It seems like the more eggs you produce, the higher proportion are poor quality, so the less you produce, the more of them are good ones!

Hope it all goes really well for you, 
Sencybil


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## Janer (Feb 4, 2005)

Hi Fiona,

Just read your post and thought I would reply to make you feel better.

When I had my IVF cycle they discovered that only one of my ovaries works. The other one is so damaged from surgery that it doesn't appear to function.

I got 8 follicles on my left ovary and none on my right and got pregnant first time and now have a healthy bouncing baby boy. So, hope that motivates you!!

Wishing you all the luck in the world  

Kate x


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## Rachel B (Apr 2, 2005)

Hi Fiona

Just to let you know that in my last IVF cycle I had an endo cyst and that it seemed to have no effect on how many follicles I produced - I had 23 follicles in total, pretty much evenly split between the two ovaries, and they managed to retrieve 19 eggs.

Having said that - and because I didn't go on to have very good embryos - I would tend to agree with the others that it is in any case quality not quantity that is most important.

Lots and lots of luck - I'm sure it will be fine.   

Rachel xxx


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## Fionajane (Sep 5, 2006)

Hi Fiona,

Both my ovaries are ok, one responded really well, with about 15 follicles, the other not so good with just 5.

However on the day of EC, the ovary that was full, was unreachable (kept moving!!), so the only eggs I got came from the ovary with the 5 follicles (got 5 eggs)

At the time I really upset, as everything else had went so smoothly and it had never been mentioned that they might not be able to reach one of my ovaries.

However, I am now 24 weeks!!!

So, as they say, it does only take 1 !!

Good Luck

Fiona x


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## Fiona M (Jan 20, 2007)

Thanks for all your replies feel much better about it all now. Fingers crossed it will work.

Good luck to you all

Fiona


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## ChristinaM (Mar 26, 2005)

Hi Fiona,

I have not been on here for a long time. I had endo, same as you, one ovary, an op, a IVF cycle and told to grieve for the fact I could not longer could have children by my consultant.

I left work, took more time to eat well, spent more time with my boyfriend, and I am now pregnant. Its very early days but I had faith and never gave up. 

I still have endo and only one ovary but hope and not always listening to the "you got 5% chance" advice has worked for me.

I wish you all the best,

christina 
PS I'm 42!!!


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## Fiona M (Jan 20, 2007)

Congratulations Christina!

It's stories like this that keep us all going!  Good luck with your pregnancy.


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## Martha Moo (Jan 30, 2004)

Hiya fiona

I only have one ovary

and it has endo cysts and pcos cysts on it 

I was concerned about this but my specialist said i would still have enough follicles/eggs to get me to ec and et 

Its so easy to worry isnt it, i am calm now and positive thinking but bet when i start stims i wont be so calm!

I hope that the stimming goes well in may and you get a good result

Best wishes

Emxx


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## Fiona M (Jan 20, 2007)

Good luck to you Em.

It's awful what us women have to go through eh!  I was at the doctors today for my zoladex inj and was quizzing him as well and he said there should be enough eggs from the one side.  Said the right side should still produce eggs but prob won't be able to get to them.

I suppose it is quality and not quantity at the end of the day!

Good luck again
Fiona


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