Tubal Factor Infertility?

[Anonymous]

A shot in the dark, but has anyone ever dealt with tubal factor infertility surgically and NOT via IVF? What was your outcome?

It did not show up on HSG but I apparently had pretty extensive adhesions, to include the fimbrial (distal) ends on both FT. The surgeon removed what he could and opened up the ends as best he could but it still didn’t look ideal on the left tube. My right ovary was removed in surgery also so that seems to be doubly problematic. Feeling pretty bummed but also slightly hopeful?

[Anonymous]

If you are under 35, you can afford to try naturally for 6-12 months

Your one ovary will ovulate every month now. Normally they alternate.

[Anonymous]

Your 1 good tube can actually “pick up” ovums from either ovary. Don’t ask me how. Apparently it is well documented. I had one tube removed. The other one was technically fine according to the HSG. However, there were lots of adhesions and the gynecological surgeon seemed to think it was unlikely that the remaining tube would be able to do the typical functions of sucking the egg up and passing it through. On the bright side, IVF worked on the first try. Tubal factor is the classic IVF case, and IVF if usually successful under such conditions.

[Anonymous]

If you don't mind me asking how did they discover the adhesions not seen on the HSG?

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the responses! I’m going to give it a try for the next few months and see what happens.

Re: How I found out? I had an HSG and later an SHG that both showed normal fill and spill. The HSG showed a slight delay in spill on the left tube which the doctor at the time attributed to using an insufficient amount of contrast. Well, two years later I had to have a laparoscopy to remove an ovarian cyst and despite the fill and spill seen previously, both tubes were adhered and clubbed at the ends and the left one was so adhered it looked like there were no fimbria which is the part of the tube that picks up the egg from the ovary. I’ve never had gonnorhea or chlamydia so it is unknown where the adhesions came from. I wish I would have known to check for this a long time ago because I’ve spent years TTC not knowing it was literally impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for the responses! I’m going to give it a try for the next few months and see what happens.

Re: How I found out? I had an HSG and later an SHG that both showed normal fill and spill. The HSG showed a slight delay in spill on the left tube which the doctor at the time attributed to using an insufficient amount of contrast. Well, two years later I had to have a laparoscopy to remove an ovarian cyst and despite the fill and spill seen previously, both tubes were adhered and clubbed at the ends and the left one was so adhered it looked like there were no fimbria which is the part of the tube that picks up the egg from the ovary. I’ve never had gonnorhea or chlamydia so it is unknown where the adhesions came from. I wish I would have known to check for this a long time ago because I’ve spent years TTC not knowing it was literally impossible.

silent endometriosis?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for the responses! I’m going to give it a try for the next few months and see what happens.

Re: How I found out? I had an HSG and later an SHG that both showed normal fill and spill. The HSG showed a slight delay in spill on the left tube which the doctor at the time attributed to using an insufficient amount of contrast. Well, two years later I had to have a laparoscopy to remove an ovarian cyst and despite the fill and spill seen previously, both tubes were adhered and clubbed at the ends and the left one was so adhered it looked like there were no fimbria which is the part of the tube that picks up the egg from the ovary. I’ve never had gonnorhea or chlamydia so it is unknown where the adhesions came from. I wish I would have known to check for this a long time ago because I’ve spent years TTC not knowing it was literally impossible.

silent endometriosis?

No, I thought that was my issue too. But the surgeon is an endometriosis specialist and found zero endo anywhere. Weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for the responses! I’m going to give it a try for the next few months and see what happens.

Re: How I found out? I had an HSG and later an SHG that both showed normal fill and spill. The HSG showed a slight delay in spill on the left tube which the doctor at the time attributed to using an insufficient amount of contrast. Well, two years later I had to have a laparoscopy to remove an ovarian cyst and despite the fill and spill seen previously, both tubes were adhered and clubbed at the ends and the left one was so adhered it looked like there were no fimbria which is the part of the tube that picks up the egg from the ovary. I’ve never had gonnorhea or chlamydia so it is unknown where the adhesions came from. I wish I would have known to check for this a long time ago because I’ve spent years TTC not knowing it was literally impossible.

silent endometriosis?

No, I thought that was my issue too. But the surgeon is an endometriosis specialist and found zero endo anywhere. Weird.

My husband has obstructive azoospermia. Tested negative for cystic fibrosis, the most common cause. We don't know the reason and we may never know.

[Anonymous]

I had an ectopic this summer in the fimbrial area of my left tube. I plan to get a HSG in a few weeks to check for tubal blockage.

In the meantime, I've been taking serrapeptase and Chinese herbal teas in the hopes of clearing any scar tissue that could be present. I don't intend on doing IVF.

[Anonymous]

Not the same situation as yours but I’ll put it out there in case it helps. I have stage 4 endometriosis. Both tubes were blocked. I had to remove both of them in order to improve my chances for IVF. Apparently the blockage causes toxic/unwanted fluid to come into the uterus and disrupt implantation of the embryo. I did have two successful IVFs after that surgery.