Carrying the baby in your womb and holding him/her in your arms hold a lot of emotions that only a female can understand. Every woman wants to experience this emotion but unfortunately, some are unable to conceive naturally due to many medical reasons.
Around 10-12% of the couples with fertility issues visiting Gaudium IVF, have tubal factors as the cause.
Tubal factor infertility is the condition where the fallopian tube in a woman is blocked which obstructs the process of fertilization of the egg and sperm.
The blocked fallopian tube thereby prevents the sperm and in many cases embryos too from reaching the uterus for pregnancy.
The uterus is connected with a fallopian tube on either side of the uterus.
The blockage can sometimes be a small one where it allows the sperm but not the embryo to reach the uterus.
The proper tubal function allows egg pick up, transport, fertilization and embryo transport from the fallopian tube down into the uterus where the embryo implants.
Recognizing the symptoms of tubal factors infertility is not easy and is very different from conditions like PCOS(polycystic ovarian syndrome) or premature ovarian failure, which have concrete symptoms to relate to.
Usually, there are no symptoms, unless there is water collection in the tube that becomes obvious on ultrasound that suspects a tubal cause.
The diagnosis of tubal factor infertility is initially investigated in most cases with hysterosalpingography.
- If the fallopian tubes are open the dye flows into the tubes and then spills out to the abdominal cavity.
- However, just because the fallopian tubes are found to be open by this test does not mean that tubal function is normal. The inside lining of the fallopian tube can be severely damaged even though the tube is open and dye spills into the abdominal cavity on the HSG.
- There are many patients where the tube is patent as in the tests done for Tubal patency,but the tubes are not functional. Patent non-functional tubes are difficult to diagnose.
- Open but scarred tubes are not able to perform the necessary functions to result in the establishment of a normal pregnancy.
Fallopian Tube Blockage Causes:
- T.B, pelvic infections, previous pelvic and abdominal surgeries are risk factors.
- One of the main causes for tubal factor infertility is infections, which can occur through sexually transmitted diseases.
- Other factors such as endometriosis where there is tissue growth outside the uterus or any previous surgery that a woman undergoes can also lead to tubal factor infertility.
Ironically in endometriosis, the tubes are patent in almost all cases but they are not functional due to altered tubo-ovarian relationships.
- PID ( pelvic inflammatory disease) where the female reproductive organs are infected also tends to damage the fallopian tube.
- History of termination of unwanted pregnancies and untrained staff are also evolving as big factors.
What to do when you’ve been diagnosed with blocked fallopian tubes.
The egg and sperm need a completely clear pathway to do their job well and even a partially blocked tube reduces your chances of conception while increasing the chances of ectopic pregnancy.
Any existing health conditions or known infertility factors combined with a malfunctioning an absent tube can complicate conception for you. This is why your fertility specialist wants to know absolutely every detail of your medical and reproductive history.
Sometimes there are red flags that lead the way to more accurate testing and diagnosis and they cannot be seen waving if you don’t share the details with the team of experts.
Gaudium IVF highly recommends connecting with a fertility specialist to create a personalized fertility plan.
Fallopian Tube Blockage Treatment
There are two ways in which tubal factor infertility can be treated, either through surgery or through IVF.
One can go for surgery if the fallopian tubes are not damaged badly. Post surgery the condition can be overcome which can help in conception later.
But,if the tubes are severely damaged, doctors recommend IVF which will help women conceive.
Most women who are diagnosed with tubal factor infertility come to Gaudium IVF after they reach a critical stage and this calls for an IVF treatment center.
However, each case is different and recommendations on surgery or IVF are based on many factors such as :
- Age of the patient, number of years of infertility, the severity of the damage, and location of the block.
But IVF is a boon for tubal factor infertility. As IVF treatment can bypass the tubes and conception is possible.
To know more about your fertility problems and their solutions book your appointment for a free consultation with our infertility experts. Call for Appointment: +91 – 8527 858 585.
