• When a woman loses an ovary, she loses half of her ovarian reserve.

• However, it is possible to have multiple pregnancies with just one ovary.

• Regular gynecological check-ups are important to protect the remaining ovary.

There are several circumstances in which a woman may have lost an ovary; one of them is having a cyst or tumor that, due to its size or characteristics, required complete removal.

When a woman is born, her ovaries contain approximately two million eggs, and no new eggs are produced during her lifetime. On the contrary, from birth, she begins to lose an average of one thousand eggs each month, until one day they are depleted and the ovary stops functioning. This is called menopause and usually occurs around age 50.

Losing an ovary means losing half of the ovarian reserve, which could result in an earlier onset of menopause and fewer eggs available for pregnancy. Fortunately, a woman uses only about 400 eggs, and a single ovary can compensate and provide enough eggs for her entire reproductive life (from puberty to menopause) and to have all the children she desires.

An important point is that the condition that led to the loss of the ovary (endometriosis, cysts, etc.) could recur more likely if it has already happened once, potentially putting the integrity of the second ovary and the woman’s fertility at risk. In this situation, the possibility of trying to achieve pregnancy quickly or preserving her eggs through egg freezing should be considered.

Women with a single ovary should be very diligent with regular gynecological check-ups and carefully consider the advisability of not postponing motherhood for too long.