I had an ovary removed in June 2010 at the age of 22. I was devastated I found out minutes after waking up from surgery, i went from having surgery to remove an ovarian cyst, to having my right ovary completely removed.I was depresed and scared that I would never be able to have children. Then in Jan 2011 I found out I was expecting! But all that joy came to an end 1 week ago. I miscaried at 8 weeks. Doctors said that it was due to a hormone inbalance. I was outraged! My doctor never told me about this, but he still went ahead and gave me pills to try to get pregnant. How long should I wait to conceive again, and is it safe to conceive again with 1 ovary? I'm just 23 I should be going through this.....please coment
Hi There,
Ovarian function is related to age, medical conditions, medications, certain interventions such as surgery and radiation.
Ovarian function can be defined as a balanced and cyclical production of estrogen and progesterone that allows a monthly release of a mature egg. Ovarian function is present from menarche (the first menstrual cycle - usually ages 10-14) to menopause (defined as no menstruation for 12 months - usually ages 45 - 55).In menarche , there can be a 10 year period of irregular cycles because the connections are not matured. On the other end of the spectrum, in the perimenopause, there is a slow waning of ovarian function. Women can experience irregular cycles, hot flashes, and then a spell of normal cycles before becoming irregular again.
If surgery removes both ovaries, surgical menopause occurs. If only one ovary is removed, the other ovary will produce the normal level of estrogen and progesterone.
If your partner still has one of her ovaries and she is having monthly periods, then her ovarian function is probably just fine.
Sometimes a large stress such as a surgery can uncover deeper psychic issues. Alot of time the terror of surgery, being out of control, being in a hospital can push a person to reflect on personal issues that were not previously addressed. I do not believe surgery per se or even menopause per se causes people to change who they are.
It is very painful to watch someone you love struggle through something that you did not even know was there. It can make you feel very helpless. Sometimes, a person will agree to counseling and / or couples counseling.
I wish you the best
Possibly she is experiencing low hormone levels due to only having one ovary - which could have the same effects as going through menopause. Her doctor should be able to test and prescribe hormone therapy if needed.