HSG question

PittTexan

Hi ladies,

DH and I are TTC #1, he has low motility / borderline morph but very high counts, i have hypothyroid issues and a giant cyst on my right ovary.

I had an HSG done last friday (which was really scary btw, i wish DH had been there) and everything was clear...no tube blocks or anything.  I had an u/s 2 days before that and the only thing they saw was a very large cyst on my right ovary.  Who knows how long it has been there...i've been off BC for years so it could have developed any time.

Other than DH's motility problem (which our doc doesn't think *should* be causing our IF) my main conern has always been Endo, since i have crazy heavy and painful periods.  My question is:  does an HSG find endo?  I mean i know it would see probelms in the uterus and tubes...but is it possible to have endo and not see it on an HSG or ultrasound?

DH goes in for another SA either friday or monday. I'm praying that everything turns out normal and his motility is good!

rebecca&nathan

unfortunately, the only way to fully dx endo is to do a lap.  Endo will not show on a HSG or ultrasound since it's tissue.  The HSG uses radioactive dye to get outlines to show up on an xray and an ultrasound looks for different densities of tissues (therefore can see your ovaries, but not oo much else).  Endo is uteral cells growing where they shouldn't and the only way to see that is to visually look.

 GL with SA#2. 

PittTexan

Thanks Rebecca.

What is a lap?  Is it quite invasive, and if so when is it usually done?  After HSG comes back clear? 

I don't want to go through a very invasive procedure only to be told that DH's SA is the real problem...I already suspect that but my doc seems to think 38% motilitiy is 'enough to get me pregnant' ....

eileenm21

a lap is decently invasive I think - but everyone is different. they make 2 incisions usually and have a scope and a light and look around for endo tissue and remove it if its there (and if they can - but that is only for extreme issues I think when they can't)  You go under anesth, but it is considered mostly outpatient surgery.  My RE may do it before we do IVF (Im hoping we don't get there though   Or she may not because my symptoms are mostly bladder related and they think they found the answer to that through another test.  But I was struggling with it as well - do I want it, you know start with a "Clean" slate etc.  its a tough decision, but from what I read on here, people with symptoms of endo don't regret doing it.  GL~

MayM

Here's what I can tell you about endo:

-No, you can't tell if you have endo via an ultrasound or HSG. There are some instances where an ultrasound may show indicators of endo via the appearance of a cyst, but this is sketchy.

-Yes, getting the pathology back after a lap is the only way to know for sure if you have endo. A lap is typically done as an outpatient procedure. My most recent one took 3 incisions and about a month to heal. It is a major surgery, so you should research your case a bit before jumping in.

You may want to discuss with your doctor the possibility of monitoring the cyst, depending on the size. They can fluctuate throughout your cycle / sometimes they can be treated with BCP.  

If you want to learn more about endo, I recommend this site: https://www.endometriosis.org/.

Remember, a cyst doesn't automatically mean endo. Best of luck for your DH's SA results and getting PG soon!