Can You Still Get Pregnant After Ectopic Pregnancy?

How long does it take to recover from an ectopic pregnancy and how long after the ectopic can you try to conceive with little chance of future ectopics?

After ectopic pregnancy, there is about a 50% risk of infertility, and about a 20% recurrence rate.  Therefore, any woman who has had an ectopic pregnancy should receive evaluation very early on in a subsequent pregnancy to confirm that the pregnancy is within the uterus (womb), and not ectopic (outside of the uterus).

There is no particular schedule that is proven to be helpful to guide a woman regarding how soon she can, or should, try to become pregnant after experiencing an ectopic pregnancy.  Likewise, sadly, no doctor is able to tell a woman exactly what her individual chances for successful pregnancy after surgery for ectopic pregnancy.

Medical Author: Carolyn Janet Crandall, M.D.