Therapy
The decision whether and how the stuck-up fallopian tubes are treated ultimately depends on how strong the adhesions are and the extent of the disease. If the adhesions are severe, drug therapy is not very promising, so the doctor will consider surgical exposure of the fallopian tubes. The operation is usually performed without complications and restores the full functionality of the fallopian tubes.
The operation is performed either as part of a laparoscopy (laparoscopy) or by completely opening the abdominal cavity (laparotomy). Both procedures are performed under general anesthesia. In laparoscopy, a probe is inserted into the abdominal cavity through an incision in the abdominal wall.
At the end of the probe is a camera, which allows the surgeon to assess the condition of the pelvic organs. Instruments are inserted into the abdomen through wide incisions and the operation is performed. The aim of the operation is to restore the fallopian tubes to full function.
To do this, the glued fallopian tubes are cut open and the adhesions removed so that the fallopian tube is once again passable. If the adhesions are mild, flushing the fallopian tubes may be sufficient to restore patency. The chances of success of this operation depend mainly on how much the fallopian tubes were previously stuck together or how much the tissue was damaged.
In general, the opening of stuck-up fallopian tubes is considered a low complication procedure. Nevertheless, there is a certain risk of complications. Although women who have undergone surgery usually become pregnant after the procedure, they have an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the ovum enters the fallopian tube opened by the operation, but is not transported towards the uterus due to damage to the wall of the fallopian tube. Ectopic pregnancies are life-threatening for the mother and cannot be carried out.
Prognosis
The adhesion of one or both fallopian tubes can have different prognoses depending on the severity of the underlying disease, also with regard to the desire to have children. Endometriosis, for example, is a chronic disease that recurs frequently and, depending on its severity, it is not always possible to fulfill the desire to have children. The prognosis of an inflammation of the fallopian tubes as the cause of a blockage of the fallopian tubes is usually very good due to a targeted and rapid therapy, but it can also lead to chronic progression and blockage in some patients, thus considerably limiting the woman’s fertility.
Fallopian tube adhesions are one of the most common causes of a woman not becoming pregnant. Due to the obstruction of the fallopian tubes, the mature egg cannot be transported to the uterus after ovulation and fertilized there. Many women believe that they cannot have children because of adhesions in the fallopian tubes or ovaries.
Nowadays, however, there are promising possibilities to treat the stuck-up fallopian tubes or to enable the affected women to have children. First, the gynecologist diagnoses the adhesions by means of an ultrasound examination or a laparoscopy. Then it can be considered whether the adhesions on the fallopian tubes should be treated with medication or whether surgery is necessary.
Usually the treatment can restore the function of the fallopian tubes and the woman is fertile again. Artificial insemination is the last resort when the affected women have not responded to drug treatment or surgery or when surgical opening of the fallopian tubes has not been possible. In this procedure, several eggs are retrieved from the woman’s ovary and artificially fertilized in the laboratory with the sperm of the partner or a donor. The fertilized eggs are then implanted directly into the uterus, thus bypassing the stuck-up fallopian tubes, so to speak.
