Blocked tubes

beckynsean11 · May 2013

Hi ladies. I usually post on TTC so, I hope you don't mind me posting this question here. I thought there would be more experience on this board.

During a sono-HSG on Friday, I found out that both of my tubes are blocked. My follow-up with the RE isn't until the 28th. Right now, I'm trying to put together my questions & educate myself on possible causes & treatment options. It seems like my blockage is at the end of the tubes near the uterus, since they were not able to get any saline into my tubes. I have not had any STDs or infections, no diagnosed miscarriages, & never been diagnosed with endo.

From what I've read, sono isn't the best diagnosis for blocked tubes. I plan on asking for a repeat HSG with contrast, if my Dr doesn't suggest it first; other than that, I'm lost. I plan on spending the next 2 weeks burying myself in research on this & IVF(on the chance they can't be cleared). If anyone here has any similar experience & is willing to share, I'd very much appreciate it.

TIA

APotterHead · May 2013

Hello. I have one blocked tube, and it was diagnosed on HSG with contrast. Then I had an ultrasound that diagnosed the tube as a hydrosalpinx (which you can't see on HSG), and they are associated with embryotoxic fluid and IVF is not recommened while they are intact.. I too have not had any of the STD's, m/c, endo you mentioned, so I understand the frustration there.

In my case, being a hydro they do not recommend trying to open the tube, because they usually fill back up and the RE wont even consider IVF with them intact.. So, for me I had to pretty much do a tubal on that side to remove the tube from the equation all together. I chose the essure because it is not surgical, but does the same thing.

I would ask for a HSG with contrast. One, because they can visualize better and two because there are cases where the HSG can open blocked tubes. You really need a definite diagnosis as to what is causing the blocked tube, what kind of block it is, etc. That determines the treatment plan. After seeing the blocked tube on HSG, I had an ultrasound and if that wasn't difinitive they were going to do a lap to take a look.

GL! T&P your way!

Cara1024 · May 2013

Hey Becky! I "know" you for TTGP and I'm sorry you had to move on over to this board, but I do think it is a good fit for you. The ladies here are awesome! (myself included They are full of knowledge and always here when you need to vent or cry it out because we get it like no one else can. We are a very close knit group and it is so nice to have support during all of this.

I don't know much about your situation, but I'm sure you will have a few others chime in. Good luck doing a repeat HSG. I hope this one and your first one weren't too painful. That balloon thing can be a b!tch.

Welcome to 3T!

beckynsean11 · May 2013

APotterHead:
Hello. I have one blocked tube, and it was diagnosed on HSG with contrast. Then I had an ultrasound that diagnosed the tube as a hydrosalpinx (which you can't see on HSG), and they are associated with embryotoxic fluid and IVF is not recommened while they are intact.. I too have not had any of the STD's, m/c, endo you mentioned, so I understand the frustration there.
In my case, being a hydro they do not recommend trying to open the tube, because they usually fill back up and the RE wont even consider IVF with them intact.. So, for me I had to pretty much do a tubal on that side to remove the tube from the equation all together. I chose the essure because it is not surgical, but does the same thing.
I would ask for a HSG with contrast. One, because they can visualize better and two because there are cases where the HSG can open blocked tubes. You really need a definite diagnosis as to what is causing the blocked tube, what kind of block it is, etc. That determines the treatment plan. After seeing the blocked tube on HSG, I had an ultrasound and if that wasn't difinitive they were going to do a lap to take a look.
GL! T&P your way!

Thank you! That's helpful info.

beckynsean11 · May 2013

Cara1024:
Hey Becky! I "know" you for TTGP and I'm sorry you had to move on over to this board, but I do think it is a good fit for you. The ladies here are awesome! (myself included They are full of knowledge and always here when you need to vent or cry it out because we get it like no one else can. We are a very close knit group and it is so nice to have support during all of this.
I don't know much about your situation, but I'm sure you will have a few others chime in. Good luck doing a repeat HSG. I hope this one and your first one weren't too painful. That balloon thing can be a b!tch.
Welcome to 3T!

Thanks Cara! I've been lurking here a lot & it's so awesome to see the way you support each other. Part of me doesn't feel like I belong here just yet. I guess I feel like I need the official word from my Dr, maybe things aren't as bad as I've got them made out in my head.

The 1st HSG hurt like a bastard. Because of the blockages, the pressure just built up in my uterus & actually popped the balloon out. They had to re-do the cath & start over to confirm the problem.

I appreciate the warm welcome!

Cara1024 · May 2013

beckynsean11:
Cara1024:
The 1st HSG hurt like a bastard. Because of the blockages, the pressure just built up in my uterus & actually popped the balloon out. They had to re-do the cath & start over to confirm the problem.
I appreciate the warm welcome!

OMG that sounds awful!!! yikes! I really hope this next one will be easier!

APotterHead · May 2013

Cara1024:
beckynsean11:
Cara1024:
The 1st HSG hurt like a bastard. Because of the blockages, the pressure just built up in my uterus & actually popped the balloon out. They had to re-do the cath & start over to confirm the problem.
I appreciate the warm welcome!
OMG that sounds awful!!! yikes! I really hope this next one will be easier!

Maybe because I had one open tube for free spillage, I was lucky, but I didn't have any pain at all at my HSG. Only some of the usually discomfort when people are poking into your cervix (excuse the bluntness). I'm sorry you guys had a rough time! I hope your next HSG is much easier!

twistsandturnsto2 · May 2013

Sorry you find yourself here, but welcome. PP is right on with getting the repeat test done. You need to get the clearest picture possible of the problem. Blocked tubes can be quite a shock, so try to just take it one step at a time.

I've got one blocked and one partially blocked tube. No history of endo, a hydro, STDs, or infection so I know what you are going through right now. We went ahead with a lap to get a better idea of what we were working with and found scar tissue all around my ovaries and tubes. In my case they were unable to remove the blockages, but sometimes it is possible. My RE couldn't give us a good reason for the scar tissue, just said that I probably had PID, which was news to me!

In any case, I wish you luck moving forward! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. The ladies over here are wonderful and there are, unfortunatley, quite a few of us with tubal blockages.

beckynsean11 · May 2013

twistsandturnsto2:
Sorry you find yourself here, but welcome. PP is right on with getting the repeat test done. You need to get the clearest picture possible of the problem. Blocked tubes can be quite a shock, so try to just take it one step at a time. I've got one blocked and one partially blocked tube. No history of endo, a hydro, STDs, or infection so I know what you are going through right now. We went ahead with a lap to get a better idea of what we were working with and found scar tissue all around my ovaries and tubes. In my case they were unable to remove the blockages, but sometimes it is possible. My RE couldn't give us a good reason for the scar tissue, just said that I probably had PID, which was news to me! In any case, I wish you luck moving forward! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. The ladies over here are wonderful and there are, unfortunatley, quite a few of us with tubal blockages.

Thank you. I'm definitely in shock. I was actually trying to put off the test, because it seemed too soon to do it. My Dr convinced me to & I'm glad to at least know about the problem before we spent another 6 months trying in vain.

I appreciate you ladies confirming that a repeat & possible lap are the right next steps. I have a feeling my Dr will suggest it anyway but, if not I want to be ready to advocate for myself.

sueann911 · May 2013

Sorry you are having to deal with this. I don't have any experience but I wanted to say feel free to post here. The ladies here are awesome with information and experience. Good luck with your decision.

ttuprincess · May 2013

I shared my story with you over on the TTPG board so I won't bore you with it again. Stick out tongue

Just wanted to say welcome to the 3T board. The ladies here are a wealth of knowledge and support. Good luck to you!

beckynsean11 · May 2013

ttuprincess:
I shared my story with you over on the TTPG board so I won't bore you with it again. Just wanted to say welcome to the 3T board. The ladies here are a wealth of knowledge and support. Good luck to you!

Thank you! I appreciated you sharing if I didn't get a chance to say so in my previous post.

I actually had a question for you. Did they treat your's with Lupron only or was that in addition to something done during your lap? If you don't mind sharing a wee bit more Smile

beckynsean11 · May 2013

sueann911:
Sorry you are having to deal with this. I don't have any experience but I wanted to say feel free to post here. The ladies here are awesome with information and experience. Good luck with your decision.

Thanks Sueann!

RunCC37 · May 2013

I have no advice to offer on blocked tubes, but wanted to wish you the best and welcome you over here! Hopefully you'll get some answers soon.

ttuprincess · May 2013

beckynsean11:
ttuprincess:
I shared my story with you over on the TTPG board so I won't bore you with it again. Just wanted to say welcome to the 3T board. The ladies here are a wealth of knowledge and support. Good luck to you!
Thank you! I appreciated you sharing if I didn't get a chance to say so in my previous post.
I actually had a question for you. Did they treat your's with Lupron only or was that in addition to something done during your lap? If you don't mind sharing a wee bit more

During the lap they removed what endo they could with the laser. However, they did not want to try to remove the endo blocking my tube with the laser for fear it would cause more harm than good. So....the only treatment for the blocked tube I had was the Lupron.

beckynsean11 · May 2013

ttuprincess:
beckynsean11:
ttuprincess:
I shared my story with you over on the TTPG board so I won't bore you with it again. Just wanted to say welcome to the 3T board. The ladies here are a wealth of knowledge and support. Good luck to you!
Thank you! I appreciated you sharing if I didn't get a chance to say so in my previous post.
I actually had a question for you. Did they treat your's with Lupron only or was that in addition to something done during your lap? If you don't mind sharing a wee bit more

During the lap they removed what endo they could with the laser. However, they did not want to try to remove the endo blocking my tube with the laser for fear it would cause more harm than good. So....the only treatment for the blocked tube I had was the Lupron.

Thank you! I'm so glad to hear that was successful!

mfarmer0811 · May 2013

Hi there! I'm so sorry you are here! I know EXACTLY what you are going through. As you can see from my siggy, both of my tubes were blocked. When I went in for the HSG, it appeared that only one was blocked, but when I went to see the RE, she did a sono, and could tell right away they were both blocked. She also confirmed it by looking at the HSG film. I ended up having the LAP surgery. The RE went in to see if she could unblock the tubes, but she couldn't. We talked with her prior to the LAP about the protocol if this was indeed the case. She told us that if the tubes could not be cleared, it would be in our best interest to remove them. There are hairlike follicles on the end of the tubes that try to grab the embryo. If we did IVF with the tubes, it could very easily end up in an ectopic pregnancy. There was also a chance of the tubal fluid to leak into the uterus and cause harm.

So, once she got in there, she saw that they were severely blocked, and even turned a weird way! She made the call to my husband while she was in the surgery room, and he gave her the go ahead to remove the tubes. (We talked about all the possibilities beforehand) She also removed some endo. from my right ovary (I never knew I had endo)

We are going to start IVF in July.

I know how absolutely overwhelming and scary this is; so if you have ANY questions, please feel free to private message me!!

beckynsean11 · May 2013

mfarmer0811:
Hi there! I'm so sorry you are here! I know EXACTLY what you are going through. As you can see from my siggy, both of my tubes were blocked. When I went in for the HSG, it appeared that only one was blocked, but when I went to see the RE, she did a sono, and could tell right away they were both blocked. She also confirmed it by looking at the HSG film. I ended up having the LAP surgery. The RE went in to see if she could unblock the tubes, but she couldn't. We talked with her prior to the LAP about the protocol if this was indeed the case. She told us that if the tubes could not be cleared, it would be in our best interest to remove them. There are hairlike follicles on the end of the tubes that try to grab the embryo. If we did IVF with the tubes, it could very easily end up in an ectopic pregnancy. There was also a chance of the tubal fluid to leak into the uterus and cause harm.
So, once she got in there, she saw that they were severely blocked, and even turned a weird way! She made the call to my husband while she was in the surgery room, and he gave her the go ahead to remove the tubes. (We talked about all the possibilities beforehand) She also removed some endo. from my right ovary (I never knew I had endo)
We are going to start IVF in July.
I know how absolutely overwhelming and scary this is; so if you have ANY questions, please feel free to private message me!!

Overwhelming & scary is the best way to describe it. It's comforting to hear from people who have been through it. Thank you for sharing! I just moved my appointment up a week(yay!), I'm sure I'll have some questions to PM you with after.

Good luck with your 1st round of IVF!

beckynsean11 · May 2013

NariaDreaming:
Oh Becky. I hate seeing you over here too- but the ladies are amazing.

Thanks Naria! GL to you on Wednesday! I'll be thinking of you.

scbedi · May 2013

No new info to add but I wanted to say that I am sorry you are going through this and I hope you can get the repeat HSG with contrast and find out it may not be as bad as you may think. GL to you! And we welcome you whenever you want to come on over!

beckynsean11 · May 2013

scbedi:
No new info to add but I wanted to say that I am sorry you are going through this and I hope you can get the repeat HSG with contrast and find out it may not be as bad as you may think. GL to you! And we welcome you whenever you want to come on over!

Thank you! I guess I'll be making an official intro once we have a plan.

PrdUSMCWyf · May 2013

Sorry you have to be here. There is so much support on this board and I am glad that I decided to join. Both of my tubes were blocked closest to the uterus. My first HSG hurt A LOT! Just like someone else said it pretty much expanded like a balloon. When we met with the doctor he recommended a lap surgery. I asked if there was something less invasive since they were blocked near the uterus. He recommended tubal cannulation which is less invasive. I had it done in June of 2011. It was successful and both of my tubes are now opened. Since my husband deployed and didn't return until May of 2012 I had another HSG. Both tubes still remained clear and the HSG looked great according to the doctor. I am very happy I went forward with a less invasive procedure. Now, I didn't know whether or not my tubes were blocked elsewhere, but I guess I lucked out when I chose to do this procedure first.

Here is a link to a brief explanation of the procedure.

https://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/what-is-tubal-cannulation

beckynsean11 · May 2013

PrdUSMCWyf:
Sorry you have to be here. There is so much support on this board and I am glad that I decided to join. Both of my tubes were blocked closest to the uterus. My first HSG hurt A LOT! Just like someone else said it pretty much expanded like a balloon. When we met with the doctor he recommended a lap surgery. I asked if there was something less invasive since they were blocked near the uterus. He recommended tubal cannulation which is less invasive. I had it done in June of 2011. It was successful and both of my tubes are now opened. Since my husband deployed and didn't return until May of 2012 I had another HSG. Both tubes still remained clear and the HSG looked great according to the doctor. I am very happy I went forward with a less invasive procedure. Now, I didn't know whether or not my tubes were blocked elsewhere, but I guess I lucked out when I chose to do this procedure first.
Here is a link to a brief explanation of the procedure.
https://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/what-is-tubal-cannulation

That's absolutely fantastic! I'm so happy to hear that you had such wonderful success!

Your experience sounds like mine. My uterus blew up like a balloon & nothing went into my tubes. I will do some research on the tubal cannulation.

Thank you!

beckynsean11 · May 2013

talon1226:
I don't have anything else to add other than I'm sorry you have to be here and welcome.

Thank you! Your pup is gorgeous!

byrne15 · May 2013

Ticker warning:

I had one blocked tube and a worthless ovary on the other side.

Long story short, I did 3 rounds of clomid with IUIs and 2 rounds of gonal-f with IUI. I had 2 c/p during those cycles. I had a Lap in October where my RE repaired my right tube (which had the decent ovary) and removed endo (which I didn't know I had). My uterus was also attached to my bladder and stomach wall. I ended up getting pregnant 2 cycles later.

So moral of the story, having blocked tubes can be "fixed" in some cases. Good luck!

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