Hydrosalpinx refers to a fallopian tube that’s blocked with a watery fluid. To break down the term, “hydro” means water and “salpinx” means fallopian tube.
This condition is typically caused by a previous pelvic or sexually transmitted infection, a condition like endometriosis, or previous surgery. Although some women don’t experience any symptoms, others may experience constant or frequent pain in the lower abdomen or unusual vaginal discharge.
In all cases, the condition can have an impact on your fertility.
Keep reading to learn more about this condition, the different treatments that are available, and ways you might successfully achieve pregnancy with your doctor’s help.
To get pregnant, sperm must meet an egg. Around day 14 of a woman’s menstrual cycle, an egg is released from an ovary and begins its travels down to the uterus to the waiting sperm. If a tube or tubes are blocked, the egg can’t make the journey and pregnancy can’t occur.
Your egg doesn’t release from the same ovary each month. Typically, the sides alternate. On occasion and for some women, an egg may be released from both sides in the same month.
If you have one fallopian tube that’s affected by hydrosalpinx and one that isn’t, pregnancy is technically possible. It isn’t without the potential for risks and complications, however.
For example, a damaged fallopian tube can leak fluid into the uterus during pregnancy. Scientists don’t exactly know what it is about the fluid that causes issues, but recent research suggests that hydrosalpinx may impact blood flow in the uterus and ovaries and affect implantation.
Blocked fallopian tubes don’t often cause symptoms. Many women don’t know they have blocked tubes until they try to get pregnant and have trouble.
In some cases, blocked fallopian tubes can lead to mild, regular pain on one side of the abdomen. This usually happens in a type of blockage called a hydrosalpinx. This is when fluid fills and enlarges a blocked fallopian tube.
Conditions that can lead to a blocked fallopian tube can cause their own symptoms. For example, endometriosis often causes very painful and heavy periods and pelvic pain. It can increase your risk for blocked fallopian tubes.
Blocked fallopian tubes are a common cause of infertility. Sperm and an egg meet in the fallopian tube for fertilization. A blocked tube can prevent them from joining.
If both tubes are fully blocked, pregnancy without treatment will be impossible. If the fallopian tubes are partially blocked, you can potentially get pregnant. However, the risk of an ectopic pregnancy increases.
This is because it’s harder for a fertilized egg to move through a blockage to the uterus. In these cases, your doctor might recommend in vitro fertilization (IVF), depending on whether treatment is possible.
If only one fallopian tube is blocked, the blockage most likely won’t affect fertility because an egg can still travel through the unaffected fallopian tube. Fertility drugs can help increase your chance of ovulating on the open side.
Fallopian tubes are usually blocked by scar tissue or pelvic adhesions. These can be caused by many factors, including:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease. This disease can cause scarring or hydrosalpinx.
- Endometriosis. Endometrial tissue can build up in the fallopian tubes and cause a blockage. Endometrial tissue on the outside of other organs can also cause adhesions that block the fallopian tubes.
- Certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause scarring and lead to pelvic inflammatory disease.
- Past ectopic pregnancy. This can scar the fallopian tubes.
- Fibroids. These growths can block the fallopian tube, particularly where they attach to the uterus.
- Past abdominal surgery. Past surgery, especially on the fallopian tubes themselves, can lead to pelvic adhesions that block the tubes.
You can’t prevent many causes of blocked fallopian tubes. However, you can decrease your risk of STIs by using a condom during sex.
Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is a type of X-ray used to examine the inside of fallopian tubes to help diagnose blockages. During HSG, your doctor introduces a dye into your uterus and fallopian tubes.
The dye helps your doctor see more of the inside of your fallopian tubes on the X-ray. An HSG can usually be done in your doctor’s office. It should take place within the first half of your menstrual cycle. Side effects are rare, but false positive results are possible.
If the HSG doesn’t help your doctor make a definitive diagnosis, they can use laparoscopy for further evaluation. If the doctor finds a blockage during the procedure, they might remove it, if possible.
If your fallopian tubes are blocked by small amounts of scar tissue or adhesions, your doctor can use laparoscopic surgery to remove the blockage and open the tubes.
If your fallopian tubes are blocked by large amounts of scar tissue or adhesions, treatment to remove the blockages may not be possible.
Surgery to repair tubes damaged by ectopic pregnancy or infection may be an option. If a blockage is caused because part of the fallopian tube is damaged, a surgeon can remove the damaged part and connect the two healthy parts.
It’s possible to get pregnant following treatment for blocked fallopian tubes. Your chances for pregnancy will depend on the treatment method and severity of the block.
A successful pregnancy is more likely when the blockage is near the uterus. Success rates are lower if the blockage is at the end of the fallopian tube near the ovary.
The chance of getting pregnant after surgery for tubes damaged by an infection or ectopic pregnancy is small. It depends on how much of the tube must be removed and what part is removed.
The most common complication of blocked fallopian tubes and treatment is ectopic pregnancy. If a fallopian tube is partially blocked, an egg may be able to be fertilized, but it may get stuck in the tube. This results in an ectopic pregnancy, which is a medical emergency.
Surgery that removes part of the fallopian tube also increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy. Because of these risks, doctors often recommend IVF instead of surgery for women with blocked fallopian tubes who are otherwise healthy.
Post a Comment