Can blocked tubes be unblocked?

[Kayleigh88]

I don't know if anyone can help with this question but I was wondering if anyone has had there tubes unblocked after they had been blocked due to endo? After my lap and my follow up consultation I was told I had no chance of conceiving... My overies were fine and my womb had stage 1 endo which was removed but Both tubes were badly blocked and damage, I already have a child so not entitled to it on the nhs so I'd either have to go private or accept I couldn't have anymore and the consultant left it there, but I was talking to another sufferer that told me that she had the same results but when she went for her Ivf consultations they told her that they could unblock her tubes, I don't want to go to the drs just yet as I am moving in a month to over 100 miles from my current house so it seams pretty pointless as I'll just get put in a waiting list to then have to cancel and get on another waiting list closer to my new house, so has anyone in here had there tubes unblocked and gone on to have a natural conception?

[Impatient]

It depends what is blocking them from the inside or constricting them from the outside or within the walls of the fallopian tubes and where along the length of the tubes.

I would imagine that if there was any chance of unblocking them then it would have been advised to you, even if that was not something covered by the NHS.

Contact your surgeon and ask them to explain what was causing the blockage and if in their opion with the right specialist surgeon this might be in due course an op that you could try even if it is beyond the expertise of your current surgeon.

We cannot guess on their behalf.

some ladies have cysts on the fingery tendrills at the opening to the tubes, which block the pathway of an ova. Sometimes it's adhesions which can be cut back as a temporary measure,or perhaps there is scarring from previous pelvic infections or STDs or ectopic surgery, or fluid build up in the walls of the tubes causing a condition called hydrosalpinx, or a condition called adenomyosis, or even fibroids.

To be in a position to investigate further as to your options you should find out what in your surgeons opinion was causing the blockages. It may be more than one thing.

It might be far too advanced to bother having any surgery on them other than the removal of the tubes, but you do need to make specific enquiries. Check with your GP for any report from your last surgery as that my tell you the cause, failing that then write to your consultant, remember to keep the letter short, and to the point.and include your patient name and number.

The quicker you do that the more likely they are to remember your surgery. Leave it too long and they will have done so many more ops since then they may not have a clue from memory.

[Kayleigh88 in reply to Impatient]

Thankyou for the reply, I did assume they would tell me if they could do something, i started wondering because the lass I was talking to wasn't told anything, she already had Ivf when she was in her early 20's and they didn't say anything, but when she decided to try Ivf again at 30 they told her they should have unblocked them originally but now she was better of just trying Ivf again because of her age ect, just seams like different drs give you different options

[DSan]

Hi, I've had my tubes unblocked twice and unfortunately now I'll be having them removed or clipped before going onto my next ivf cycle. I've got stage 4endo with endo mostly on my bowel with some endometriotic cysts on my ovaries. I kept a fertility chart and could see I was ovulating regularly every month. The surgeon who operated on me performed a dye test which basically unblocks the tubes with the pressure of the dye going through the tubes. I was advised that the tubes were likely to get blocked up again within 3months which is exactly what happened along with the reformation of a hydrosalpinx on my right tube. My acupuncturist says it is possible to get pregnant when tubes are unblocked. I have to say that age was also against me as I am now 41. if I had had my tubes unblocked in my 20s then maybe I would have got pregnant straight away. The other factor is how damaged your tubes are inside, are thr cilia still present to move the egg along after natural fertilisation? If the tubes are very damaged inside then I don't think it's worth getting them unblocked.

Hope this helps xx

[Kayleigh88 in reply to DSan]

Thankyou for the reply they did try the dye test on me while I was having my lap, they said they managed to get it through one side but only when lots of pressure was applied and the other was completely blocked, he gave me tablets to increase my eggs, he said it was 99.9% impossible that I would conceive naturally because of how bad they were but that he wanted me to try the tablets just incase I get a miracle, so I'm assuming the cilia are still there, I'm only 25 at the moment (feel 50!) so I wanna try anything possible while I'm still young enough because I won't be able to afford to pay for Ivf

[Lilly83]

I don't think unblocking tubes is a great idea as once blocked they will be prone to blocking again, and it increases your risk of an ectopic, also if you have hydro (fluid in tubes)it can cause issues with pregnancy and implantation

If you do go down the ivf route they usually prefer to just remove them first if there's issues with them for the reasons above

Good luck x

[Kayleigh88 in reply to Lilly83]

Thanks for the reply, I had noticed a few people saying the can close quiet quickly after being unblocked but was hoping that with me only being 25 I might manage to conceive naturally quiet quickly, Ivf isn't looking like a viable option for the foreseeable future me and my partner are both self employed and on low incomes so don't have any money spare to save up at the moment, guess I'm just trying to find something to give me some hope

[Lilly83 in reply to Kayleigh88]

Sorry I haven't read the full thread but have you said nhs ivf isn't an option? I'm on my 3rd ivf now, I had the transfer yesterday. I had stage 4 and had 2 ops last year to remove it all, I lost a tube and there's was too much damage to me ovaries to keep going with my eggs so we are using an egg donor now x

Infact scrap that just read, is your partner the father of your child? If not some ccgs do fund, my area does, you can have a child as long as its not to your current partner x

[Kayleigh88 in reply to Lilly83]

No his not, where I live at the moment they don't fund it if either of you have one so I'm hoping when I move i might be in an area that does allow it, Where are you from if you don't mind me asking?

[Lilly83 in reply to Kayleigh88]

I live in Mossley not far from Manchester, my CCG is Tameside and Glossop but I think the neighbouring one Oldham is the same too, my partner has a child and I wasn't expecting to get funded before I looked into it x

[Kayleigh88 in reply to Lilly83]

How did you find out? Did you have to go through the drs or did you find it online? I have looked online to try find the guidelines for where I'm going but had no luck finding them, where I am originally from doesn't allow it, and I'm moving 30 miles from there so I'm not sure if I will fall under there rules or not

[Lilly83 in reply to Kayleigh88]

As far as I'm aware as of recently there's no areas refusing funding, York were the last ones not funding but did a u turn recently, that's my understanding anyway. From experience some GPs aren't clued up on funding so find out yourself before approaching them, call your CCG and ask them to send you the assisted conception criteria for the area and it will tell you all the criteria you need there x

[Kayleigh88 in reply to Lilly83]

Thankyou when I had my follow up appointment for my lap the consultant told me I wasnt eligible because of my having a child, even though my partner didn't have one, and I know back in my hometown they follow the same rules as I have friends going through Ivf, will have to find out which is going to be local for my new house

[Lilly83 in reply to Kayleigh88]

Do check, as some areas fund 3 and you could be saving 15-20k more if you have multiple frozen cycles or donor egg treatment like me. Good luck! X