DOCTOR’S COLUMN: Help! I cannot sustain an erection

Dear Lilian, a common cause of infertility in Ugandan women is blocked fallopian tubes. This may be due to adhesions outside the tubes (like after appendicitis) or scars inside the tubes from untreated STI’s.

Salpingolysis is the surgery done to release the tubes from such adhesions while salpingostomy is the one done to repair the scars to allow pregnancy to take place.
The success depends on many factors including extent of scarring and age. Sometimes, the tubes may open up without conceiving because of factors like fibroids.

It is therefore necessary to first look for other causes before embarking on surgery.This helps avoid having many surgeries.

Patent tubes may have had the inner hairs (which propel fertilised eggs to the womb) damaged leading either to pregnancy in the tubes or no pregnancy. But this should not make you pessimistic and deter you from seeking the operation because it may be successful.

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