In this article we explain where this problem comes from, why it can prevent you from getting pregnant and we take stock of the different treatments.
What is a fallopian tube?
The uterine tubes, also known as the fallopian tubes, are the two channels that connect the uterus to the ovaries . They play a very important role in fertility . During ovulation , one of the two ovaries expels an oocyte which then descends into the fallopian tube. This is where he can meet a sperm and be fertilized. It then becomes an egg which will implant in the endometrium, the uterine lining. It will then be able to transform into an embryo and then into a fetus.
What causes a blocked fallopian tube?
Some women have one or both blocked fallopian tubes. We also talk about waterproofing of the tubes. The causes of this anomaly are multiple:
It is possible to be born with blocked tubes, in addition to malformations of the uterus .
The presence of a uterine fibroid
Depending on its size and location, this benign tumor can obstruct a uterine tube.
Gynecological infections
Some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis can lead to salpingitis , i.e. tubal infection or hydrosalpinx, a complication of salpingitis. In rare cases, the infection can be consecutive to the installation of an intrauterine device (IUD).
Endometriosis _
Because of this disease, which affects almost 1 in 10 women, pieces of the uterine lining can become lodged in the fallopian tube and thus make it impermeable.
Sometimes the walls of the fallopian tube stick together, breaking the communication between the ovary and the uterus.
An ectopic pregnancy in the fallopian tube
How is tubal impermeability diagnosed?
Although some women complain of mild abdominal pain, blocked fallopian tubes are usually asymptomatic . Most women realize this when they go to see a fertility gynecologist because they are unable to get pregnant despite regular sexual intercourse and in the absence of contraception . They then carry out an infertility assessment including various examinations including imaging. It is most often thanks to an x-ray with injection of contrast product: hysterosalpingography, that the diagnosis is made.
What are the consequences of blocked tubes?
The main consequence of the impermeability of the tubes is female infertility , or even sterility; because the oocyte and the sperm cannot meet. Moreover, the method of female sterilization is tubal ligation .
In some cases, fertilization may occur but the egg cannot implant in the uterus, causing an ectopic pregnancy .
What are the solutions when you have blocked tubes?
Treatments depend on the cause of the obstruction. If the problem comes from an adhesion, it is possible, thanks to a small surgical intervention, to remove the walls and thus restore the permeability of the tube and therefore the communication between the ovary and the uterine cavity.
In the case of endometriosis lesions, an operation can also remove the pieces of uterus which are obstructing the tube.
If there is an ectopic pregnancy in the tube, it is imperative to interrupt the pregnancy to eliminate the poorly implanted egg. To do this, we resort to drug treatment or surgery to suck out the egg.
When the tubes are too damaged to be preserved, particularly because of poorly treated sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) , they are removed via an operation called salpingectomy .
Pregnancy and waterproof tubes
Although it is sometimes possible to get pregnant naturally once the tubes are made patent through surgery or egg aspiration, pregnancy is never guaranteed. This is why doctors generally suggest that their patients go through a medically assisted procreation (MAP) process such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) if the tubes have been damaged or removed.