Fallopian Tube Blockage Treatment

Fallopian tubes are a key part of a female’s reproductive system and the menstrual cycle. They are tube-like structures where fertilization and the early stages of embryo development take place. Fallopian tubes are also the transport mechanism through which the embryo moves to the uterus. 

Any blockage on the fallopian tubes can greatly impact your menstrual cycle and fertility negatively. There are different reasons why fallopian tubes may have blockage.  

Key Takeaways

• Fallopian tube blockages occur when inflammation or scar tissue partially or fully blocks one or both tubes connecting the ovaries to the uterus.
• Some of the most common causes of blockages include bacterial infections, surgical complications, and endometriosis.
• A blocked fallopian tube can lead to infertility, but it is possible to treat a blockage and return to normal fertility.

How do Fallopian Tubes Work?

Each fallopian tube is a channel between your ovaries and your uterus. They play an important role in conception and pregnancy and work by:

• Holding your eggs in place: Every month, your ovary releases an egg. The fallopian tubes have finger-like structures called fimbriae whose work is to sweep the egg into the tube, where the egg waits to be fertilized.
• Promote fertilization: After sexual intercourse with a man and they ejaculate, any sperm released during ejaculation will travel through your vagina, into the cervix, the uterus, and eventually into your fallopian tubes where it will be fertilized. 
• Acting as a passage: Fallopian tubes move the fertilized egg to your uterus, where it can grow into a fetus. 

How Does Fallopian Tube Blockage Happen?

Fallopian tubes can become blocked for a variety of reasons. In many cases, the location of the blockage can signal what’s causing the blockage. Blockage can be located:

• Near the uterus: Also known as proximal blockage, this type is caused by tubal spasm, scarring, or blockage from debris.
• In the middle of the fallopian tube: This is also known as mid-segment blockage and is caused by pelvic adhesions, endometriosis, a previous ectopic pregnancy, or tubal ligation.
• The end of the fallopian tube: This is sometimes called a distal blockage or hydrosalpinx and can be caused by extreme endometriosis or prior pelvic infection.

Let's look at conditions that can block and potentially damage a fallopian tube.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a painful condition where the uterine endometrial tissue develops outside the uterus. This can cause blockage on the fallopian tubes if the tissue grows on or near them. Moreover, scar tissue can form over time and block the tubes.

Ectopic Pregnancy

When an egg is fertilized, it makes its way to the uterus for implantation. Unfortunately, in some cases, the fertilized egg stays in the fallopian tube and implants in there and the fertilized egg starts to grow there. This results in an ectopic pregnancy and since that space isn’t enough for the embryo to grow, the fallopian tube can rupture. Any lower abdomen or pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, dizziness, and fainting should send you to the doctor’s office immediately. 

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Some studies show that bacterial infections like chlamydia or gonorrhea are the most common cause of fallopian tube obstructions through pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This an infection that affects the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. 

PID triggers an inflammatory response in the fallopian tubes, leading to the formation of scar tissue that can partially or completely block the tube. The blocked tubes prevent the movement of eggs from the ovary to the uterus, hinder fertilization, and potentially cause infertility.

Surgery

Surgery like C-sections and ovarian cyst removal creates scar tissue and adhesions that can block fallopian tubes by binding them to other organs surrounding them. 

How Do I Know My Tubes Are Blocked?

You can go your whole life without knowing you have a blocked fallopian tube. This is mainly because this blockage may not come with any symptoms. Symptoms only become evident once you try to get pregnant. 

In some cases, mild, regular pain on one side of the abdomen can signal a blocked fallopian tube. This usually happens when fluid fills and makes the fallopian tube larger. This is called hydrosalpinx. 

Diagnosis & Treatment of Blocked Fallopian Tubes

In many cases, blocked fallopian tubes can only diagnosed when one is trying to get pregnant. Fallopian tube blockage is mainly diagnosed using a Hysterosalpingography (HSG) x-ray, usually within the first half of your menstrual cycle. The test looks at the fallopian tubes using a dye.

In some instances, the HSG results can be false positive and your doctor may need to investigate further using laparoscopy. If any blockage is found, the doctor will give the next steps that usually lead to removing it. 

Treatment of Fallopian Tube Blockage

Fallopian tube blockages can be addressed using: 

• Laparoscopic surgery: This is the most common treatment for fallopian tube blockage. Here, the surgeon makes an incision on the abdomen and inflates the abdomen with gas to see the fallopian tubes and uterus using a laparoscope (a thin instrument with a camera and light). 
• Recanalization: Recanalization or reopening is similar to laparoscopic surgery. This is where the doctor places a speculum into the vagina and passes a small plastic tube (catheter) through the cervix into the uterus. A dye is put in through the catheter to help the X-ray camera see the blockage and fix it. 
• Salpingectomy: This refers to the total removal of the fallopian tube that’s blocked, leaving the remaining fallopian tube intact to preserve future pregnancies. If both tubes need to be removed, the procedure is called a bilateral salpingectomy. 

Do Blocked or Damaged Fallopian Tubes Cause Infertility?

Yes, blocked or damaged fallopian tubes can cause a type of infertility known as tubal factor infertility. A blocked fallopian tube can interfere with the egg’s ability to reach the uterus and the sperm’s ability to reach the egg and allow fertilization to occur. Studies show that around 20 percent of female infertility cases are a result of a tube blockage. 

Facing tubal factor infertility can be discouraging. Through assisted reproductive treatments like intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) one can still conceive and carry to term. Our compassionate healthcare professionals at Ivy Fertility will guide you to the right treatment. Even with a bilateral salpingectomy, your eggs can be retrieved directly from the ovaries before the procedure for use in IVF or frozen for future fertility treatments.

Bottom Line

Blocked fallopian tubes can affect fertility and put a woman at increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. Nevertheless, now advances in reproductive technology, women can still go ahead and start a family.  Fallopian tube blockage is mainly treated through surgery but if you plan to get pregnant, your eggs can be retrieved before the surgery and fertilized using IVF.