Infertility

[hope1988]

hi all,

Im in a predicament and need some advice.hope someone can help...

Iv been to see consultant for ivf on monday, and got some feedback. As i have 3 previous surgeries due to ulcerative colitos, he told me that it is likely that i had lots of scar tissue and that's probably why i have blocked fallopian tubes. He said that if i have ivf the chances of getting preg are 15%. so therefore he suggests that i have my tube blocked for good, so no liquid can come out and therefore give me a better chance at ivf ( a 1in3 chance).

If i have them blocked i can never go back and every time i want a baby ill need ivf...I really dont know what to do. Either have them blocked and have a better chance of getting preg with ivf or leaving them as they are and having a 15% chance of ivf working.But then loosing any chance of conceiving naturally (which is very slim, as both tubes are blocked).Can anyone help??

[Hidden]

Dear Infertility,

It sounds an incredibly difficult decision to make, with no wholly right answer. It might be worth going back to the clinic and speaking with either the counsellor or a nurse who can help you reach a point where you're grounded in optimism that the decision you make it the most right - which may only be 'more than 50%'.

You can of course get a second opinion at another clinic, which you'd probably have to pay for, but if it helped to have peace of mind, might be worth it. If you are comfortable at your clinic, having a chat with the support staff might be enough to help you reach a point where you know what felt most comfortable, recognising that you're doing the best you can.

Unfortunately we are unable to provide medical advice, but are able to listen and be here for you whilst you decide - and after. Do have a look at the website Find a Friend forum or if you're a Premium Member see your magazine for details of support groups, having face to face peer support as well as online may also help at this time.

Best wishes and Good Luck with your cycle.

Tracey

[Hidden]

Hiya

Tracey has said it all really, but just want to say, don't rush any decisions, give yourself lots if time to do this so that you become happy with your decision, so go and seek further advice etc to help you are making the right decision for you.

Best of luck

FG x

[ruth81]

HIya,

I am in a very similar position. I had a perforated bowel and peritonitis two years ago and this led to adhesions and scar tissue throughout my abdomen. I was told I would have to use IVF and natural pregnancy would be nothing short of a miracle. Just before my first round they checked my tubes for fluid and were 90% sure they did not have fluid in, although they are damaged and'stuck' in my abdomen. I had a miscarriage after my first round of IVF. I am now about to start a second round and I spent a lot of time with my gynae and having several scans to decide what to do about my tubes. The conclusion my gynae reached was that due to the amount of scar tissue I have, surgery would be a last resort so he was relucant to operate to block the tubes. My IVF clinic agree but want to do a further test, a 3d saline scan, as they say this sometimes can show a better picture of the tubes. I am having this next week. I have really struggled to decide whether to risk another round of IVF with the chance of fluid as I just cannot bear another miscarriage. Then on the other hand I have really found it hard to imagine knowing categorically 100% that my tubes are clipped and I will never ever have a natural pregnancy. I am going to be guided by the IVF clinic and put my trust in them and just hope that things happen for the best. If I am told to have them clipped I will do, but I agree with you, it is a tough decision to make. I hope your consultant can give you all the advice and support you need.

R x

[hope1988]

Hi Ruth,

Thank you for your reply, i am grateful to know that im not the only one in this predicament..The consultant i went to see said that he will book me in for an ultrasound scan to see how much damage is in my tubes and how much toxic liquid there is.That wont be happening till another three months.Once that's done i will have to decide where to go from there next.Hopefully there wont be too much damage and i will be able to have ivf without having my tubes removed, as the thought of not being able to conceive naturally is very upsetting.But on the other hand only having the one chance on nhs for ivf is daunting.Sorry to hear about your MC. I would really appreciate it if you could keep me updated of how your tests are going and what you are going to do next.Not many people understand what i am going through, Thats why im seeking advice online.

Good luck x

[ruth81]

Hiya,

I thought I would update you. I have now had the 3d saline scan ( a very weird but not painful experience!) and my ivf clinic are happy to proceed with my ivf cycle without clipping my tubes. So, I am going ahead with it all and just hoping that we have better luck this time. We only had one NHS go too, and having that end in miscarriage was very traumatic, but I still feel we learnt an awful lot from our experience and so I am going into this next cycle with a much greater understanding of it all. From what I can tell with liquid in tubes, gynaes and consultants seem to differ a bit in their opinions. Some say tubes with fluid have to be clipped, others say although in theory there is a hightened risk of MC healthy pregnancies can definitely still occur with no problems. My gynae said that if your tubes are really full of fluid it is very obvious on an Ultrasound scan, so I really hope that seeing what that says will give you a great deal of assistance in making your decision.

Good luck with it all and keep us posted on how you get on.

R x

[hope1988]

Hi,

Thanks for the update Hopefully things are looking up for you, good news that they are going to go ahead with ivf without clipping your tubes. Hopefully ill get that good news too, As i really don't want to go through with that. I dont think My consultant is against doing ivf if he finds liquid in my tubes, i think hes just a wary of the fact that there is less chance of it working. I still havent received an appointment for my ultrasound scan, most likely wont be until another 3 months!

I was wondering if you could tell me how much ivf is going to cost you on private? Having only the one chance on ivf, i think ill have to look into that aswell. Also how long did you have to wait to get your first try on nhs? iv heard they is an 18week wait.But i understand its different for every hospital.

Thanks for you help x

[Hidden]

Hi Hope

Just to let you know most private clinics have their costs published on their websites.

You can use the HFEA find a clinic facility on their website here: guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/

You can also confirm what your local PCT offers by way of funding for IVF on our Funding For Fertility section, fundingforfertility.co.uk

You can use the interative map to compare your PCT or HealthBoard with negbouring regions, we are currently updating the section to include additional information.

If you can think of any other information you'd like to see do let me know, it would be really helpful and we can make sure it is a useful resource for you and anyone else looking too.

We all obviously hope you don't need a second cycle - it can and does sometimes work first time.

We hope you don't have to wait too much longer for your scan. Sometimes if you're able to go at short notice it can be worth calling to see if there has been a cancellation.

Good luck

Tracey

[hope1988]

Hi again, went for my scan on monday, good news..they didnt find any fluid in the scar tissue so i will be able to go ahead with IVF without getting my tubes clipped One small issue though, my bmi is 17 and i need to be 19, so my consultant wont be referring me until i have gained the weight hopefully wont be long though..

[jamjar5060]

I am in a similar but different situation. I had the option of removing my tubes and get IVF or leave them and IVF never to work. I chose having them removed which was a hard decision to make but it's one I had to make so I at least have a chance of getting pregnant and becoming a mum. Unfortunately though once these were removed my eggs/follicles reduced and the IVF injections didnt stimulate them enough either even though I was on the maximum dose.

I am now also having to lose weight so I get my 2nd nhs funded go and use donated eggs. This all happens March/April time.

I wish you hope and success and send baby dust your way xxx

[liz1985]

Hi Honey...

I had my tubes blocked a procedure called essure.... I am now on my 2ww when i went for my scan for ec i was told my tubes had swelled massively but was still ok to go ahead since they had been blocked anyway.

I didnt even think about it just went with what they said but i know its not an easy decision to make...either way the best of luck to you sweetie i hope it all works out with you xxxxxxxxx