EFFECTIVENESS OF IUI

  I have had two miscarriages and one ectopic in which I lost my left tube.  I have been trying to conceive again for over a year.  My RE has placed me on clomid and has discussed IUI if three cycles of clomid is not successful.  My questions are:  Will an IUI be less successful in women who only have one clear tube?  Mainly, is it true that a woman only ovulate on one side in a given month?  Will clomid increase the chances of ovulating on the side where the good tube is? I was told that you can ovulate on the side where there is no tube but still conceive because the other tube can pick eggs from the opposite side.  Is this true? In someone with just one tube, are the success rate higher in IUI or IVF?  Thank you so much for your time.  

[HFHS MD-JM]

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Dear Sarah,
On a given cycle, yes having 1 tube compared to having 2 tubes would decrease your chance of getting pregnant but over a couple of cycles your chances are good.  Yes, in the vast majority of cycles you ovulate on one side only.  Clomid may occasionally stimulate more than one egg to develop so it may slightly increase your chance of ovulating on each side.  It will not make you ovulate on the side with the good tube preferentially though.  Yes, it is possible to ovulate on one side and the other tube pick it up but not felt to be very common.  Pregnancy depends on a lot of factors and if the only condition is a blocked tube than either IUI or IVF would be effective.  Since IUI is much less invasive and expensive it is typically recommended first.

This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.  Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
Keyword:  infertility, tubal factor