Hydrosalpinx refers to fluid that collects within the fallopian tubes after an injury or infection and affects a woman’s fertility. We recently received several questions about this hydrosalpinx and how to treat this condition. Read on as Clear Passage Director of Services Belinda Wurn, PT, answers.
Q: Can I get pregnant if I have hydrosalpinx?
A: A hydrosalpinx makes getting pregnant naturally extremely difficult, if not impossible. It disrupts the normal function of the fallopian tubes, preventing the delicate finger-like fimbria at the end of the tube from gathering the egg, and transporting it toward a meeting with the sperm. In addition, hydrosalpinx can reduce the success rate of fertility treatments such as IVF, because the fluid in the tube may be toxic to a fertilized egg.
Therefore, resolving hydrosalpinx is considered a necessity, whether you are trying to become pregnant naturally or via fertility-assisted reproductive techniques.
Q: Should I have surgery to clear my hydrosalpinx?
A: The problem with clearing hydrosalpinx surgically — a very delicate procedure — is the adhesions, or internal scars, that are likely to form as a result. Adhesions after surgery can complicate fertility further by blocking the tube again, sometimes with a return of the hydrosalpinx.
A number of physicians we have consulted believe that there is a brief window (three to six months) to conceive after surgery, before the tube blocks again. It is also important to consider the fact that surgery tends to have higher success rates in younger women and those with relatively small hydrosalpinx.
Some women with hydrosalpinx are advised by infertility specialists to have the blocked tubes completely removed and begin IVF treatments. At Clear Passage, we believe in trying a natural treatment approach before resorting to this irreversible option, which leaves a woman with no chance for a natural pregnancy from that tube – ever.
Q: How effective is the Wurn Technique as a hydrosalpinx treatment?
A: Our therapists have successfully cleared fallopian tube blockages, including hydrosalpinx, in many women with lasting results.
The journal Fertility and Sterility published a study on treating hydrosalpinx with the Wurn Technique. In the study, we saw:
- 50% (4/8 patients) success rate opening tubes blocked with hydrosalpinx1
- 50% (2/4 patent patients) had a natural post-therapy full-term pregnancy via the tube previously blocked with hydrosalpinx1
You can hear one of our past patients discuss her journey with hydrosalpinx-related infertility and the results she achieved after receiving the Wurn Technique in this video.
If you have any additional questions about hydrosalpinx or how the Wurn Technique treats blocked fallopian tubes, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a free phone consultation with one of our expert therapists.
1. Wurn LJ, Wurn BF, Kan M, et al. Treating hydrosalpinx with manual physical therapy. Fertility and Sterility. September 2006 (Volume 86, Issue 3 (Supplement), page S307).
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