Hydrosalpinx
Hydrosalpinx is a fallopian tube that is blocked at its far end and filled with fluid. The cause is past infection, endometriosis, or scar tissue that seals the fimbrial end, the fringed outer end of the tube.1
The trapped fluid is harmful. Its chemistry works against embryo implantation. The fluid also flows back into the uterus and disrupts the endometrium, the lining of the uterus.
Because this fluid impairs implantation, a fertility evaluation cannot consider the uterus or ovaries alone. The tube is an active part of the clinical picture.
The restorative surgery is neosalpingostomy. In this procedure, the surgeon opens the blocked end of the tube and rebuilds it. The procedure works when the inner lining and wall of the tube remain healthy enough to function.2
Some tubes are too damaged to rebuild. In that case, the surgeon removes only the affected tube (selective salpingectomy) to stop the source of the fluid. This approach preserves the other tube and the uterus.
The choice of surgery depends on the condition of the tube, not on a default protocol.
Cited in this entry
- Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Fallopian Tube. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547660/
- Kasia JM, Ngowa JD, Mimboe YS, et al. Laparoscopic Fimbrioplasty and Neosalpingostomy in Female Infertility: A Review of 402 Cases at the Gynecological Endoscopic Surgery and Human Reproductive Teaching Hospital in Yaoundé-Cameroon. J Reprod Infertil. 2016;17(2):104-109. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27141465/
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult an RRM clinician or healthcare provider for guidance specific to your situation.