Fallopian Tube Blockage Treatment

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?

Your fallopian tubes play an important role in conception and pregnancy. They function by:

• Holding your eggs: Every month, an ovary releases a mature egg and the finger-like structures at the end of your fallopian tube, called fimbriae, sweep the egg into the tube, where the egg waits to be fertilized.
• Promote fertilization: If a man ejaculates inside you, the sperm will travel through your vagina, cervix, 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?

Blockage on the fallopian tubes can happen due to an infection or scar tissue from surgery. This can damage one or both sides of the fallopian tubes  and cause the fallopian tubes to stop working. Different factors can contribute to this blockage.

Ectopic Pregnancy

When an egg is fertilized, it makes its way to the uterus for implantation. However, in some cases this doesn't happen and the fertilized egg stays in the fallopian tube and implants in there. The fertilized egg then begins to grow there. This is what is called an ectopic pregnancy. Because the space isn’t adequate, the fallopian tube can rupture.

To avoid rupture, it’s important to seek medical attention if you feel pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis, or shoulder, abnormal vaginal bleeding, dizziness or fainting. 

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection that affects the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. It can spread from untreated sexually transmitted infections. Studies show that bacterial infections like chlamydia or gonorrhea are the most common cause of fallopian tube obstructions. If left untreated, PID can inflame the fallopian tubes, cause scar tissue, and block the tubes.

Surgery

If you go through surgery, you can develop scar tissue. Reproductive surgeries that remove cysts or treat conditions like endometriosis leave scar tissue that causes scar tissue. 

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a painful condition where endometrial tissue from the uterus develops outside of the uterus. Because there is nowhere for this tissue to go once it develops, it can cause serious problems in the areas around which it forms. In cases where endometrial tissue grows on or near the fallopian tubes, scar tissue can form over time and block the tubes.

Symptoms of Blocked Fallopian Tubes

You may go your whole life without knowing you have a blocked fallopian tube. This is mainly because they are asymptomatic or show no symptoms. You can only show symptoms if you try to get pregnant, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Blocked fallopian tubes on their own do not usually present symptoms. 

Nevertheless, some people do have some symptoms with a blocked fallopian tube. Some complain of mild, regular pain on one side of the abdomen. This usually happens when fluid fills and makes the fallopian tube larger. This is called hydrosalpinx. 

Diagnosis & Treatment of Blocked Fallopian Tubes

As already mentioned, one can go without knowing you have a blocked fallopian tube. In many cases, this is only diagnosed when trying to get pregnant. Fallopian tube blockage is mainly diagnosed using an Hysterosalpingography (HSG) x-ray. This test is done within the first half of your menstrual cycle and it examines the inside of fallopian tubes using a dye that’s put into your uterus and fallopian tubes. The X-ray rarely has any side effects.

In some instances, the HSG results can be false positive and your doctor may need to investigate further using laparoscopy in order to make a definitive diagnosis. If during a laparoscopy the doctor finds any blockage, they can go ahead and remove it. 

Treatment of Fallopian Tube Blockage

Fallopian tube blockages can be addressed using: 

• Salpingectomy: This is the total removal of the fallopian tube that’s blocked. This procedure eliminates the possible complications of a partial blockage and leaves the remaining fallopian tube intact to preserve the patient’s ability to become pregnant. Both tubes can also be removed in a bilateral salpingectomy. But this doesn't mean you can’t get pregnant. Your eggs can be retrieved directly from the ovaries before the procedure for use in IVF or frozen for future fertility treatments.
• Laparoscopic surgery: This is the most common approach to addressing a blockage. The blocked fallopian tube is treated using a laparoscope, a thin instrument with a camera and light. The surgeon makes an incision on the abdomen and inflates the abdomen with gas to see the fallopian tubes and uterus. 
• Recanalization: Recanalization or reopening is similar to laparoscopic surgery. The doctor places a speculum into the vagina and passes a small plastic tube (catheter) through the cervix into the uterus. They then inject a liquid contrast agent or a dye through the catheter and use an X-ray camera to see the blockage and fix it. 

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 study showed that around 20 percent of female infertility cases were a result of a tube blockage of some kind. 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. 

While one can conceive with a partially blocked fallopian tube or even only one fallopian tube, this increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. However, if the tubes are completely blocked, conception or pregnancy can become impossible.  

Facing tubal factor infertility can be daunting. This is where assisted reproductive treatments like intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Our compassionate healthcare professionals at Ivy Fertility will guide you to the right treatment and walk with you on your journey to parenthood.  

Bottom Line

Blocked fallopian tubes can go either way. They can be asymptomatic or result in an ectopic pregnancy. For a partially blocked tube, natural conception can happen. However, this can result in an ectopic pregnancy, which is a medical emergency. 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.