How blocked tubes hinder pregnancy

Allen Nakato got married about 25 years ago. In her first years of marriage, she conceived but had a miscarriage.

After the incident, she was unable to conceive even with the help of doctors.

When she went to Women’s Hospital International & Fertility Centre, Dr Ssali Tamale a fertility endocrinologist at the centre, found out that she had blocked tubes that stopped her from conceiving for the last 22 years.

Also known as tubal factor infertility, blocked tubes are responsible for 40 per cent infertility among women.
Causes
• Current or history of an STD infection, specifically chlamydia or gonorrhea.
• History of uterine infection caused by an abortion or miscarriage.
• History of abdominal surgery.
• Previous ectopic pregnancy.
• Prior surgery involving the fallopian tubes.
• Endometriosis.
• Uterine fibroids.

Symptoms
It is important to note, says Dr Ssali, that women with blocked tubes do not suffer any symptoms. Their periods remain regular and this is why it is a silent killer.

In cases of hydrosalpinx when a blockage causes the tube to increase in diameter and fill with fluid, it may cause lower abdominal pain and unusual vaginal discharge.

Treatment options
If one tube is open, the doctor may prescribe fertility drugs to increase the chances of ovulating on the side with the open tube. Your risk of ectopic pregnancy is higher after surgery to treat tubal blockage. Your doctor should closely monitor you if you do get pregnant.

Surgery may be an option but is not good for those with thick, multiple scarring between tubes and ovaries, or those who have been diagnosed with hydrosalpinx (fluid filled tubes).

IVF treatment
Dr Ssali says women with blocked tubes often have a better chance of becoming pregnant with the IVF treatment. It involves taking fertility drugs that stimulate the ovaries.

Using an ultrasound-guided needle through the vaginal wall, the reproductive endocrinologist retrieves the eggs directly from the ovaries.

In the lab, the eggs are put together with sperm from the male partner or a sperm donor. Some of the eggs fertilise to give healthy embryos.
One or two healthy embryos are chosen and transferred to the uterus and are kept under monitoring with antenatal care and scans until the mother gets into labour.

“If just one of the fallopian tubes is blocked, getting pregnant naturally or with a little treatment may be possible but in the case when they are both blocked, surgery or an IVF treatment may be the only options,” he says.

Inflamed fallopian tubes make IVF difficult. The doctor may recommend a surgery to remove the tube if it is fluid filled and after recovering from the surgery, the IVF can be tried.

The high cost of IVF treatments sometimes prevents many couples with this cause of infertility from being able to have a baby. Speak to your doctor about all the available options and if there is no option for you, then you can consider an adoption but ensure to have emotional support from your spouse and family.

Options
Speak to your doctor about all the available options and if there is no option for you, then you can consider an adoption but ensure to have emotional support from your spouse and family.