Fallopian Tube Blockage Treatment

The female reproductive system is a wonder to behold, and the fallopian tubes add to that wonder. Fallopian tubes connect the ovaries and uterus and act as a channel for ferrying the eggs to the uterus. Conception can also happen in the fallopian tube, and if an egg is fertilized by sperm, it moves through the tube to the uterus for implantation.

As you can see, a blocked fallopian tube can have negative effects on the reproductive health of an individual. It’s important to understand how this can happen and how it can be treated. 

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.

What role do your fallopian tubes play?

Fallopian tubes play an important role in conception and pregnancy:

• They keep your egg in place as it waits for fertilization. Fallopian tubes have fimbriae, which are hair-like structures that move the egg into the tubes. 
• Allows fertilization to happen when the sperm meets the egg. 
• Moves the fertilized egg (embryo) to the uterus.

What Is a Fallopian Tube Blockage?

Fallopian tube blockage happens when the tube is blocked because of infection, scar tissue from a surgery or infection, ectopic pregnancy, or pelvic adhesions. This can cause damage to one or both sides of the fallopian tubes preventing the regular function of the reproductive organs. Let’s look at some issues that can contribute to this blockage. 

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive organs and can affect the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. One can get PID from an untreated sexually transmitted infection, which can spread from the vagina into the upper reproductive system. According to a study done in 2022 bacterial infections like chlamydia or gonorrhea are the most common cause of fallopian tube obstructions. When untreated, PID can lead to inflammation of the fallopian tubes, the development of scar tissue, and a tube blockage.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a painful condition where endometrial tissue, the same type of tissue that lines the uterus and is shed during menstruation, 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.

Surgery

Surgery can cause scar tissue, especially any surgery that involves removing cysts from the ovaries or treating endometriosis. Scar tissue that forms following surgery can cause fallopian tube blockages.

Ectopic Pregnancy

In a typical pregnancy, a fertilized egg makes its way to the uterus and implants in the lining of the walls of the uterus. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg becomes implanted in the fallopian tube instead. This can cause the tube to rupture if the issue is not identified and surgically addressed in time.

An ectopic pregnancy can lead to infertility and even potentially kill the mother if it is not addressed quickly. Unfortunately, surgical removal of the ectopic pregnancy can scar the inside of the fallopian tube during the procedure resulting in a blocked tube.

How Do Blocked or Damaged Fallopian Tubes Cause Infertility?

Damaged fallopian tubes can cause infertility. This is commonly known as tubal factor infertility, and one study found around 20 percent of female infertility cases were a result of a tube blockage of some kind. When a fallopian tube becomes blocked or damaged, this 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. 

One can get pregnant when the fallopian tubes are partially blocked, but this increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. On the other hand, pregnancy can become impossible if both fallopian tubes are completely blocked and remain untreated.

Infertility of any kind can be overwhelming for anyone, and if you have questions about a fallopian tube blockage or need more information about the conditions that might cause them, Ivy Fertility offers women's reproductive services in a variety of locations.

Symptoms of Blocked Fallopian Tubes

Blocked fallopian tubes on their own do not usually present symptoms. This means that many women don’t know they have a blockage until they try to get pregnant and struggle with infertility. In most cases, the blockage is only discovered during the treatment of another underlying condition like endometriosis or PID. These two are characterized by:

• Pelvic pain
• Menstrual irregularities
• Pain on one side of the abdomen
• Heavy periods
• Infertility

Diagnosis of Blocked Fallopian Tube

Blockage in fallopian tubes is mainly diagnosed using an X-ray called the Hysterosalpingography (HSG). The X-ray is typically done within the first half of your menstrual cycle and 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.

Sometimes, the results of the HSG 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 a variety of procedures.  

• Laparoscopic surgery: This is a common approach to addressing a blockage. Here, a surgeon gains access to the fallopian tube either through a small incision on the patient’s abdomen or through the cervix directly.
• Recanalization: This process uses a camera. A doctor inserts a small catheter through the uterus to examine the fallopian tube, and inserts a second, smaller catheter through the first and into the fallopian tube itself, clearing the blockage. According to Stanford Medicine, this procedure can be successful in very specific types of blockages but not all. 
• Salpingectomy: If only one fallopian tube is blocked, one can choose to have the tube removed entirely using this procedure. 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. One can also remove both tubes (bilateral salpingectomy). If one wishes to get pregnant, eggs can be retrieved directly from the ovaries before the procedure for use in in vitro fertilization or to be frozen for future fertility treatments.

Bottom Line

Fallopian tube blockages can be scary, but they are quite common and are sometimes reversible without long-term effects on fertility. Even in cases where both tubes need to be removed, assisted reproductive technology exists to help conceive a child; and it is very possible to have a happy, healthy pregnancy after tube removal.