blocked tube - question [Archive]

CTs_Punkin

11-22-2005, 12:19 PM

I was just recently told that I "might" have a blocked left tube. During my HSG the dye went up the tube, but did not spill out into my abdominal cavity... which I guess a normal prognosis would do...

My question is this - If this happened to you, was your tube actually blocked, or did your tube spasm during the procedure causing the appearance of blockage?

If you had blockage - what did you do? What did your options?

Thanks for all your answers - I'm still a little shocked right now.

MMT

bottleored

11-22-2005, 12:42 PM

I was diagnosed with a blocked tube by my OB/GYN in Oct '04. When I started with my RE in Jan '05 he suggested I get a 'tubal recanalization'. I know there was a consideration about where the tube was blocked (close to the uterus or close to the ovary) that was a bit of a determining factor. I think that the closer the blockage is to the ovary, the smaller the tube gets and it's harder to unblock.

I had the procedure in Feb '05 and it was successful. It was more painful than my HSG, but it didn't take very long to do (I was waiting in different rooms longer than the actual procedure).

The blockage, unfortunately, was not the end of my battles, but I'm happy to say that I'm due in June!

Best of luck!

tigerest

11-22-2005, 01:15 PM

Sorry to hear about your results.

I have 2 blocked tubes. And they were discovered during the HSG as well. For me it was mostly from adhesions. (everything was stuck together causing them to be blocked.) I had a surgery to unblock them, which was succesful, however, within 3 months they were blocked again. :(

The recanalization is only for a blockage near the uterus. They don't usually reccomend surgery because there is a high rate of reclosure. But I was willing to risk it. (It was really hard to find a Dr willing to do it though.)

I am currently trying something called "Clear Passage" where they try to massage the adhesions away. I have another HSG in 3 weeks to see if this worked.

The good news is that your chances are still pretty good with one tube! Lots of people get PG with just one tube. I would talk to your Dr about your options. Good luck!

Chris~n~Jen

06-18-2007, 04:19 PM

** bump **

I'd like to see more responses. I just found out that I have 1 blocked tube. My OB has referred me to a RE but I'm trying to do some research and find out what the next course of action might be.

Jess71903

06-18-2007, 05:53 PM

Jen- I know you know my story, but I thought I would post it for others.

I was diagnosed with a blocked tube in August '06 when I had a lap. I wasn't told what kind of blockage, so I don't know if it was temporary or not, but she said that she tried several times and the dye would not go through. I was told that there was no need to do anything about it because the other one was working just fine and you can still get pg. with one tube...in fact, the picture of your anatomy that you usually see (the cow's head picture) isn't accurate. Your ovaries are actually closer together and behind your uterus a little, so even an egg O'd from the blocked side can travel to the good side.

As you can see in my sig, I am now pregnant, and that happened on a natural cycle (Got a BFP in pre-op on a Thurs...I was scheduled for an RE appt. the following Monday). It did take us longer to conceive and I am convinced having one functional tube is a big part of the reason.

NotDesperate

01-29-2008, 07:13 AM

laura

01-29-2008, 04:14 PM

Just curious, what exactly is a blocked tube and how did you come to suspect you had one? Did you still O but weren't getting PG and then thought maybe something might be wrong? JW, I don't suspect I have one or anything, I just wanted to know more about this since I didn't really know it existed until recently... TIA :)

A blocked tube means that one of your fallopian tubes is blocked, preventing an egg from releasing properly on that side (preventing egg to sperm connection, or preventing a fertilized egg from traveling to the uterus, depending on the severity of the blockage). Yes, you would typically find out wrt fertility testing, like HSG or lap, but you could also have a lap for other things not related to fertility specifically or you could have one to treat a fertility related condition but not be actively TTC. I guess you could also find out wrt a STD, if you had one, since they are sometimes related.

Suzlywoozly

01-30-2008, 06:43 AM

Just curious, what exactly is a blocked tube and how did you come to suspect you had one? Did you still O but weren't getting PG and then thought maybe something might be wrong? JW, I don't suspect I have one or anything, I just wanted to know more about this since I didn't really know it existed until recently... TIA :)

My RE suspected that I had a blocked tube because I had 5 unsuccessful IUI's and 2 unsuccessful IVF cycles. During the many u/s during the IVF cycles there appeared to be fluid in my tubes. This was a red flag that my tubes were blocked. The only way to completely confirm it was to do a lap. At that time they removed both tubes because they were both blocked, covered in endometriosis and one of them had become completely stuck to my uterus.

Jess71903

01-30-2008, 08:09 AM

I found out just because I wasn't getting pregnant. I didn't really suspect a blocked tube, but had a lap to find out what was going on in there.

NotDesperate

01-30-2008, 02:04 PM

Jess71903

01-30-2008, 02:20 PM

NotDesperate- that's exactly it. My cycles are textbook. One twist, though... the egg from your right ovary can come down your left tube and vice versa. In fact, there's a CCer who had one tube removed, due to monitoring knew she O'd from the other side, and got pregnant that cycle.

sea74

01-30-2008, 02:47 PM

Wow I never heard of that, weird!

So if your tube is blocked, do you still have relatively normal cycles and still ovulate? And just not get PG because the egg and sperm can't reach eachother due to the blockage?

Yes, exactly that. I ovulate normally EVERY month, I have a regular period, etc. I had an HSG done last April and my right tube was blocked but my left tube was open. We've been trying 20 some cycles will well-timed/perfectly timed BDing, we've done injections, clomid, IUIs and STILL no baby.

A week ago today I met w/a new RE who said that he thinks the outside of both my tubes are blocked (you can read about it in the Still At It thread) so I'm going in for surgery to in Feb to get a better look and hopefully "unblock" both my tubes and clean up whatever is going on in there.

Suzlywoozly

01-30-2008, 03:18 PM

Wow I never heard of that, weird!

So if your tube is blocked, do you still have relatively normal cycles and still ovulate? And just not get PG because the egg and sperm can't reach eachother due to the blockage?

Well in my case they said IVF didn't even work because fluid builds up in the tubes when they are blocked and that fluid leaks into the uterus killing the embryo. It is entirely possible to have one open tube where the sperm and egg meet but the embryo can't implant because of fluid leaking from the blocked tube.

Yes you can ovulate on your own and have perfect cycles yet have blocked tubes.

sea74

01-30-2008, 04:11 PM

Suzylwoozyl

It is entirely possible to have one open tube where the sperm and egg meet but the embryo can't implant because of fluid leaking from the blocked tube. YIKES! That's not good. When you went in for you lap did you have any idea that losing your tubes was a possibility? I'm worried about waking up to really bad news.

And, if you don't mind my asking, did you have any frozen eggs set aside before the lap? If they were to determine my tubes need to be removed would they take them out right then, or would they close me up and then do an egg harvesting cycle so I could use my own egg? If this is too personal of a question, I understand.

Scooter

01-30-2008, 04:49 PM

sea74

01-30-2008, 05:34 PM

Sea, you can still do IVF if your tubes are removed. IUIs obviously won't work, but it doesn't really affect the IVF process and in some cases seems to increase the chances. So they wouldn't need to do a stim cycle and egg retrieval before removing the tubes, because you can do that afterwards.

Oh, I guess I thought the the ovaries were attached to/and part of the tubes :o Pretty sad how little I know about my own anatomy! Thanks :)

Suzlywoozly

01-30-2008, 07:12 PM

Suzylwoozyl

YIKES! That's not good. When you went in for you lap did you have any idea that losing your tubes was a possibility? I'm worried about waking up to really bad news.

And, if you don't mind my asking, did you have any frozen eggs set aside before the lap? If they were to determine my tubes need to be removed would they take them out right then, or would they close me up and then do an egg harvesting cycle so I could use my own egg? If this is too personal of a question, I understand.

When I went in for my lap they were not 100% sure my tubes were blocked. All they knew was that my left tube showed fluid in it on the u/s's. I talked to my OB beforehand and told him that I was okay with him removing both tubes if he felt it was necessary. This was just because I didn't want the other tube to be in question later on and then have to have another lap. I was actually relieved that after the surgery my OB said that there was no question that they needed to come out and they were the worst tubes he and the other OB had seen.

No I don't mind sharing! Like Scooter said, having your tubes removed doesn't prevent you from doing IVF. In fact it definitely increased my chances of having success from doing IVF. We did a FET 4 months after the lap which resulted in a chemical pregnancy. At that point we knew something probably was wrong with my embryos. We switched clinics and did a fresh cycle with PGD. We were successful on our first try. Let me know if you have anymore questions. You can PM me if you'd like. :)

Scooter

01-30-2008, 08:19 PM

Sea, that's what I had always thought, too! Kinda sad we have to go through IF to learn the facts about our bodies. But the ovaries are not actually attached to the ends of the tubes.

The tubes are open on the ends (or should be) and at the end are these fringe-like things called fimbriae. When the mature egg bursts out of the follicle, the fimbria kind of scoops the egg in and funnels it into the tube so it can meet up with the sperm.

That's why it's possible to ovulate on one side and have it go in on the other. It's also why it's possible to ovulate and not even end up with the egg in the tubes at all. I believe (but never heard it from a doctor) that it also explains how ectopic pregnancies can happen, because the egg and sperm could meet outside of the tubes and try to implant out there.

NotDesperate

02-03-2008, 02:28 PM

This is interesting stuff. I have learned a lot, ladies! Thank you for sharing.

dancn226

02-08-2008, 06:42 AM

I want to bump this up...and also see who had had surgery to open up their tubes? If you did what did it consist of?

sea74

02-12-2008, 08:35 AM

Dancn: I'm not sure if this is the same thing or not but tomorrow I'm having a lap and a tubal perfusion. They said the tubal perfusion would help open the tubes up. Again, not sure if it's the same thing or not but I'll probably have more to report after tomorrow.

Scooter and Suzlywoozly Thank you both for the really helpful information you posted!!!!!!! :)

JJP

02-12-2008, 11:15 AM

Dancn I was diagnosed with blocked tubes, but chose to not have surgery to try to open them up. Some fluid seems to be able to get through my tubes, just not much, so I would have needed cannulization to make them bigger. The stats on cannulization weren't all that promising, however. We decided to go straight to IVF and it was successful on the first try. :)

bethnjim

01-24-2009, 12:43 PM

Bumping this up...

I has an HSG after my ectopic and found that I have both tubes blocked. Anyone experience this?? My gyno said it could have been spasms because of the pain, but she wasn't sure. I am not going to an RE on the 2nd of Feb to see what they suggest.

I am on day three after the HSG and my uterus STILL hurts and I am still having cramping!

lawphil

02-07-2009, 06:01 PM

Just bumping this up. I had an ectopic pregnancy and had to have one of my tubes removed today. Just wondering if anyone who had one tube blocked and/or removed was able to get pregnant naturally or just went straight to IVF. We have already been doing fertility (used it to get pregnant with 1st dd) so I am not opposed to it but we just weren't there yet so I am trying to figure this all out. Just had the surgery so I should probably just relax but of course that is so not my personality!

mcgwigan

02-08-2009, 06:04 AM

lawphil I seem to remember someone on these boards that got pregnant ovulating from the ovary opposite their open or remaining tube.

lawphil

02-09-2009, 12:45 PM

McWigin - I remember that too! What a miracle! Thanks for bringing up that success story.

bethnjim

02-11-2009, 03:07 PM

lawphil--Do you know how long you have to wait after surgery before starting to try?? I go in for surgery on Wednesday to remove my left tube. They are also checking my right tube while they are in there.

lawphil

02-11-2009, 04:59 PM

bethnjim - I don't know how long I have to wait. I have my post-op tomorrow and i have a lot of questions for the doc. Saturday happened so quickly we were just focused on what they were doing that day. I will let you know what they say after my appointment. I am interested to see what he suggests regarding fertility treatments - I have a feeling he will push IVF. But we'll see..

Just fyi, in terms of recovery I had the procedure on Saturday and by today I feel really good. I could definitely be back at work if I had to.

bethnjim

02-12-2009, 03:48 AM

That is good to know about going back to work. My surgery is on Wednesday and I had a meeting the following day. I was told that I CAN'T go back to work until Monday, but as far I have only taken off on Wednesday (day of surgery) and Thursday. I will wait and see how I feel I guess.

lawphil

02-12-2009, 04:42 PM

I think it is a good idea to play it by ear. I maybe could have gone and sat at a desk on Monday but I was still pretty out of it. I also had a long week leading up to it so that could have played a part in how I felt.

In terms of TTC, the doctor did not say I couldn't try this cycle but I went into the meeting knowing that I wanted a break. So we are going to wait one cycle before ttc. I was glad that he definitely did not push IVF. He said it was more of a personal decision - some women after going through this 2x want nothing to do with their tubes. Anyway, he thought we should go ahead with our original plan of clomid with a boost of injects & IUI when we are ready. If we end up stimming only on the left side we should still have timed intercourse because there is a very slim chance it could travel down the right tube. Overall it was a positive meeting and I am feeling more optimistic about this whole thing.

Good luck with your lap. Let me know if you have any more questions.

bethnjim

02-26-2009, 03:53 AM

Definitely WOULD NOT have been up to going back to work on Thursday or Friday!! I should have taken Monday too, but ended up forcing myself to go and felt like crap the whole day. I literally had a hard time keeping my head up!! Thanks for all of the advice. My stomach is really sensitive and sore, plus bloated, which makes it OH SO ATTRACTIVE!!! :D My right tube is nice and clear...they gave me pictures of the dye pumping through it...and we are going to try with my right tube to get pregnant. I have heard it is really hard to get pregnant with only one tube, but we figured we would try it for a while and see how it goes.

JMD

02-28-2009, 09:52 AM

Beth I just wanted to tell you that I have a close friend who got PG many times with only one tube (lost one as a result of her ectopic). She had other issues that caused other m/c, but she was able to get PG both naturally with one tube and also with IVF. The naturals didn't stick for other reasons (she has MTFHR I'm pretty sure) Her fourth IVF stuck and she is now 15 weeks.

bethnjim

03-01-2009, 02:49 AM

JMD--Thanks!!! I really hope I will be able to get pregnant with the one tube! I have my post op scheduled for Tuesday morning and hope to hear that I can start trying again on my next cycle!!!

PookiePrincess

03-01-2009, 08:53 AM

My mom lost a tube to a cyst when she was a teenager and had no problem conceiving my brother and I. I hope it's as easy for you Beth.

bethnjim

03-12-2009, 03:37 AM

Thank you pookieprincess!!!

ksull17

04-07-2009, 07:25 AM

Hi everyone. So here's my deal....back around Thanksgiving I had a lap b/c of some pelvic pain I was having along with TTC with out luck. I found out that I had a lot of scar tissue around my fallopian tube on the right side, which they removed and all was well. Fast forward a few months, the pain is back and I'm still not pregnant. Had an HSG yesterday only to find out the scar tissue is back and my right side is completely blocked. I made an appt for a consult visit with an infertility specialist. I guess my question is, can anyone tell me what to expect? Are there specific steps that I'll need to follow? We have a healthy 2 1/2 year old boy so to be in this situation is quite stunning to me. I never thought we'd be down this route, especially after having a healthy 1st pregnancy....though I guess no one expects to be in this position. I kind of feel broken....like my parts aren't what they should be. :( Any advice would be appreciated. TIA.

dizylizy

04-07-2009, 08:36 AM

I lost a tube to an ovarain cyst. My OB/GYN checked with water and decided it was best to remove the tube as the cyst had grown/leaked inside it. (explained the massive amount of pain I was in and the bleeding I had in the 1st tri with DS#1.) I was able to conceive DS#2 after only 4 months of BD'ing.

KSull17- hugs to you. I have no advice but to keep asking questions. I can relate to being broken. the cyst I had was "supposed" to be absorbed in the first weeks of PG but instead it leaked twice(!) and caused pain and the need to be on bed rest most of my first pg. the cyst was so big -10cm- that i had a really high risk of twisting of the ovary which could have meant a need to end the pg to operate. My body didn't do what was expected and lead to lots of tears and stress. I hope all goes well for you.

linekelei

05-13-2009, 03:13 PM

I'm bumping this up for anyone who's still reading this thread.

I had an HSG in October 2007 and it was suspected that I had one blocked tube. The blockage was cleared by the HSG dye. I went on to get pregnant in December 2007.

We're now talking about TTC for #2 and I'm not sure what to do about it. Should I talk to my RE about another HSG? Wait a few months and see if I get a BFP without any assistance? It's not clear exactly why I might have had a blocked tube, and my RE wasn't totally convinced that it was actually blocked (and thought it could have just been a spasm caused by the HSG which looked like a blockage). However, I tend to think that it was blocked because it took 10 months of TTC before getting a BFP and it only happened after the HSG. Anyway, I'm debating what to do. We'd like our children to be fairly close together, so neither of us are into waiting around for things to happen if there might be a problem again (especially since my husband has had some recent health problems and since he's healthy now, but we don't know what the future holds, we don't see the point in sitting around and waiting). Just thought I'd check here and see if anyone had another blocked tube later on, or what you did to conceive #2.

Twylla

05-14-2009, 01:18 PM

Can you meet with your RE to talk about it? I'm in a similar situation (fertility problems, and when we TTC again, we don't want to take another 3 years) so we're planning to be pretty proactive when we get started again. I happened to get pregnant after an HSG as well, though there were some other factors that made it a unique cycle for me. We're planning to meet all the other "things" that made for the BFP, with the exception of the HSG, and if that doesn't work after a few cycles, we'll talk to the doc.

Good luck! I hope it doesn't take another HSG!

Scooter

05-14-2009, 04:16 PM

When we went back to the RE for ttc2, she said she always likes to repeat the HSG after a pregnancy. Tubes can get blocked during/after a pregnancy even if they were open before. Mine were NOT blocked ttc#1 but the next time no dye went into the right one. The RE thought it was most likely a spasm and the tube was clear, but we didn't know for sure. We went ahead with IUIs as long as one tube was definitely open, and were successful on the 2nd try. Luckily I had more than 1 follicle on the open side!