ABOUT THE DISEASE

The fallopian tubes are two thin tubes, one on each side of the uterus, which help lead the mature egg from the ovaries to the uterus.

When an obstruction prevents the egg from travelling down the tube, it is called a blocked fallopian tube. It can occur on one or both sides. This is also known as tubal factor infertility, and is the cause of infertility in 40% of infertile women.

A blockage can occur at various locations:

• - At the end of the tube, near where it`s connected to the uterus (proximal)
• - At the end of the tube, near the ovary (distal)
• - The entire tube (in severe cases)

SYMPTOMS

Blocked fallopian tubes rarely cause any symptoms. Underlying disease may produce symptoms like painful menstruation and painful sexual intercourse.

CAUSES

The most common causes of blockage in the fallopian tubes are scar tissue, pelvic tuberculosis, and previous surgery in abdomen or pelvis. Scar tissue occurs as a result of a disease, such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) or other sexually transmitted disease such as Chlamydia or Gonorrhea. Another common cause of blocked tubes is endometriosis

DIAGNOSIS

Blocked tubes are usually diagnosed with a specialized x-ray, called a hysterosalpingogram, or HSG.

TREATMENT METHODS

- Medication to treat the underlying cause

- Fertility drugs to increase the chances of ovulation, if only one tube is blocked.

- If both the tubes are blocked, a laproscopic surgery might be required (Tuboplasty).

- In cases where even the surgery does not help, IVF (in vitro fertilization) is advisable.

You may also like to learn about:

Infertility
Endometriosis
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Tuberculosis
Uterine fibroid
Sterilization-female