If you have hyrosalpinx, then your egg will not be able to travel down your tubes to your uterus. This means that you will require treatment from a doctor if you intend to have children.
Why is the Condition Called Hyrosalpinx?
The name comes from a combination of two Greek words, hyro, which means water and salpinx, which means trumpet, so hydrosalpinx literally means "water trumpet." It was named this because of the way the fallopian tubes would enlarge with a watery substance.
What are the Symptoms?
Some women experience no symptoms. Others have a burning pain in the abdomen. Abnormal vaginal discharge sometimes occurs with this condition, but not always. Every woman is different.
What Causes Hydrosalpinx?
Previous infections that you have had in your fallopian tubes can cause it, particularly old sexually transmitted infections. Other infections which are not necessarily sexually transmitted can also trigger it, such as pelvic inflammatory disease.
Other causes include previous surgery in the pelvic area and adhesions of the pelvis, which can also be a side-effect of surgical procedures.
How Do I Know if I Have Hydrosalpinx?
As it often has no symptoms, it can be difficult to tell. However, if you are failing to get pregnant then your doctor will be able to determine whether your fallopian tubes are healthy through a series of investigations.
The most simple way to diagnose the condition is by ultrasound scan. The doctor will be able to see your tubes on the scan.
Another means is by a surgical operation called a laparoscopy. A tiny incision will be made in your abdomen and the surgeon will insert a microscopic telescope into you to enable him to examine your fallopian tubes.
Sometimes he will pass a contrast dye through your vagina into your uterus and tubes to see if the dye runs through the tubes - if it doesn't, they are blocked.
A less reliable way to diagnose hydrosalpinx is by an X-ray called a hysterosalpingoram. Again, a dye is used and an X-ray taken to see where the dye travels. If it doesn't travel into the tubes, they are probably blocked. However, this form of diagnosis has a 15% false positive rate, i.e. it will tell you your tubes are blocked when they aren't. So a laparoscopy or ultrasound or both may be better options.
How Can I Have a Baby?
A surgeon may be able to unblock your tubes with surgery to enable you to conceive naturally. However, if your case is too severe, or there is too much scarring, he may not be able to successfully operate. In vitro fertilization (IVF) will then be needed to help you get pregnant. This is where your egg and your partner's sperm are fertilized outside of the womb and then implanted into you to bypass use of your fallopian tubes altogether (eggs can be harvested directly from the ovaries).
However, having a hyrosalpinx causes an unusually high failure rate for IVF, so you may have to have your fallopian tubes removed to have a chance of succeeding at IVF.
Source:
American Society for Reproductive Medicine, information leaflet.
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