The Fallopian tubes are the narrow channel that eggs use to travel from the ovaries to the uterus each month. These tubes can become blocked in all sorts of ways. Scar tissue from infection or endometriosis, along with swelling or fluid buildup, can cause it. Roughly one-third of all women struggling with infertility have fallopian tube blockage that makes it hard to fertilize eggs. Fortunately, some very effective blocked fallopian tube treatments are available. Here is what you need to know about managing this common fertility problem.
How to Tell If You Need Blocked Fallopian Tube Treatment
Not every woman with a fallopian tube blockage will have symptoms. Some women may get mild pain on one side of their abdomen or have heavy periods, but this does not always occur. Many do not know they have a problem until they cannot get pregnant. Fallopian tubes naturally open and close, so diagnosing a blockage may be hard. If your doctor thinks you have a blockage, they may suggest testing that involves looking at the tubes through X-ray or ultrasounds to see if contrast dye can flow through them smoothly. You may also need laparoscopic surgery, where the doctor inserts a tiny camera through a small incision to take pictures of your tubes.
Understanding Your Blocked Fallopian Tube Treatment Options
Your blocked fallopian tube treatment in Chicago will depend on the position and type of blockage you have. If you only have one tube with a blockage, treatment may focus on getting eggs through the healthy tube. Taking fertility medications can be enough to result in a healthy pregnancy. Removing the affected tube in a minor surgery can also work because it makes the body only use the healthy tube. Some surgeries can remove scar tissue, push the blockage out of the tube, or create a new opening along the fallopian tube. Most of these fertility treatment surgeries are laparoscopic surgeries that require a few tiny cuts to the abdomen. Following the surgery, you typically recover in just a few weeks.
Keep in mind that not all treatment for fallopian tube blockage will focus on actually fixing the blockage. Several fertility treatments can help you have a successful pregnancy without removing the blockage itself. A particularly common option is in vitro fertilization. This option involves removing eggs directly from the ovaries, fertilizing them in lab conditions, and then implanting them in the uterus. You may also consider surrogate pregnancies that involve a surrogate carrying an embryo for you or donor eggs that can be implanted in the uterus. These treatments can work very well. However, each time you want to get pregnant, you will need treatment again.
Increase Your Chances of Pregnancy
There are no definitive rates for how much any treatment can improve your chances of pregnancy. Fertility involves many factors, so things like maternal age, uterus shape, and sperm count can affect success rates. Generally, you can become pregnant more easily if only one tube is blocked or if the blockage was closer to the ovary than the uterus. Depending on your situation, your chances of a successful pregnancy after fallopian tube surgery can be somewhere between 20 and 60%. Other treatments like IVF that allow you to bypass the fallopian tube blockage may have higher rates, but they require repeated treatments.
Advanced Reproductive Center is here to help if you are struggling with pregnancy. In addition to offering blocked fallopian tube treatment in Chicago, we also provide a variety of other fertility assistance options, including:
- Intrauterine insemination
- In vitro fertilization
- Donor eggs
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection
- Gestational surrogacy
Our experienced and welcoming staff can provide you with the care you need during this challenging time. Call Advanced Reproductive Center of Chicago at 312.485.4847 to schedule your appointment.