A hydrosalpinx is a fallopian tube that is blocked at its far end and filled with a clear, watery fluid. It is a recognised cause of tubal infertility, and research shows that it lowers the success of IVF. This page explains what a hydrosalpinx is, how you get it, the symptoms, how it affects fertility, why it is dealt with before IVF, and the options.
Hydrosalpinx before IVF? Get an honest assessment.
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Hydrosalpinx at a glance
- What it is: a fallopian tube sealed at the end next to the ovary and swollen with fluid, often in both tubes.
- Main cause: pelvic inflammatory disease, usually from chlamydia or gonorrhea.
- Symptoms: often none; some women have pelvic pain or abnormal discharge.
- Effect on IVF: fluid can leak into the womb and lower implantation and pregnancy rates, so it is usually treated first.
- Diagnosis: HSG, pelvic ultrasound and sometimes laparoscopy.
What is a hydrosalpinx?
A hydrosalpinx is a distally blocked fallopian tube filled with serous or watery, clear liquid. The blocked tube may become substantially distended, giving it a characteristic sausage-like or retort-like shape. The condition usually affects both tubes. In most cases only the fimbrial end (the end closest to the ovary) is sealed, and the affected tubes may reach several centimetres in diameter.
The blocked tubes cause tubal-factor infertility. Normally the egg is released from the ovary, picked up by finger-like projections called fimbriae and pushed into the tube, where fertilization takes place before implantation in the uterus. With a hydrosalpinx the tube cannot take part: sperm cannot pass, the egg is not picked up and fertilization does not take place.
How do you get a hydrosalpinx?
The major cause is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), usually an ascending infection from chlamydia or gonorrhea, though not every pelvic infection causes a blockage. Other associated factors are:
- Use of an intrauterine device (IUD)
- Endometriosis
- Prior pelvic or abdominal surgery and adhesions
- Tubal tuberculosis
- Other sexually transmitted infections
- Tumors, rarely
As a reaction to injury, the body sends inflammatory cells to the area, and the inflammation and later healing can cause the fimbriae to be lost and the tube to close.
Symptoms of hydrosalpinx
- Often none: it is sometimes found only when a woman seeks treatment for infertility
- Lower abdominal or pelvic pain, which may recur
- Abnormal vaginal discharge from pelvic infection or inflammation
- Painful intercourse in some women
How does a hydrosalpinx affect fertility?
The tube cannot pick up the egg or let sperm through. Tubal fluid, which is normally discharged into the pelvis, accumulates and may flow back into the uterus, where it can interfere with the embryo. Fluid from some women has been shown to contain factors that inhibit embryo development, although it is not toxic in every case.
This is why a hydrosalpinx lowers the success of IVF and raises the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
Why remove or block a hydrosalpinx before IVF?
There is research evidence that dealing with a hydrosalpinx before IVF significantly improves the success of IVF, and this is generally recommended. The rationale is to stop the leakage of hydrosalpinx fluid into the uterine cavity, which also lowers the chance of an ectopic pregnancy.
Options your surgeon may discuss are removal of the affected tube (salpingectomy), blocking the tube close to the womb (proximal tubal occlusion), or, in selected mild cases, reopening the tube (salpingostomy). Your gynecologist will advise based on your scans, your age and your plans.
How is a hydrosalpinx diagnosed?
- HSG (hysterosalpingogram), an X-ray dye test that shows a dilated, blocked tube
- Pelvic or transvaginal ultrasound, which may show a fluid-filled tubular structure
- Laparoscopy to see the tubes directly and treat adhesions or endometriosis at the same time
Complications of hydrosalpinx
- Repeated pelvic infections
- Delayed periods and pelvic pain
- Difficulty conceiving, even after IVF or other assisted reproductive techniques
- A higher risk of ectopic pregnancy
- Tubal phimosis, a narrowing at the tube end
Go to a hospital emergency department for sudden severe pelvic pain, fainting or heavy bleeding, which may signal an ectopic pregnancy.
Told you have a hydrosalpinx before IVF?
Share your scans and treatment history with our specialists, and they will assess what supportive care can be planned for you alongside your gynecologist’s advice.
Call +91 8080 850 950 for a 1:1 personal consultation with our experts today.
Homeopathic support at Welling Homeopathy
At Welling Homeopathy our specialists see many women with tubal problems and failed IVF. A detailed assessment of your scans and history is made before any plan, and homeopathic treatment is offered as individualised, supportive care alongside the advice of your gynecologist. Please do not delay or skip surgery or IVF advice on your own.
See our pages on blocked fallopian tubes and IVF treatment. Dr. Sourabh Welling and the team have over 25 years of experience, in our Mumbai clinics and online.
Consult a Welling specialist about hydrosalpinx and tubal infertility
Do not delay: share your reports and your history of treatment so far, and our specialists will plan your personal homeopathic treatment, in person at our Mumbai clinics or online from anywhere.
Frequently asked questions about hydrosalpinx
1. What is a hydrosalpinx?
A fallopian tube blocked at the far end and filled with watery fluid, often in both tubes.
2. What causes a hydrosalpinx?
Mostly pelvic inflammatory disease from chlamydia or gonorrhea; also endometriosis, past pelvic surgery, adhesions, an IUD and tubal tuberculosis.
3. Does a hydrosalpinx cause infertility?
Yes. The tube cannot pick up the egg or pass sperm, so it causes tubal-factor infertility.
4. Why is a hydrosalpinx treated before IVF?
Fluid can leak into the womb and reduce implantation and pregnancy rates; dealing with it first improves IVF success and lowers the chance of ectopic pregnancy.
5. How is a hydrosalpinx treated?
Usually by surgery: removing the tube or blocking it close to the womb; sometimes by reopening it in mild cases.
6. Can a hydrosalpinx clear on its own?
A tube that is sealed and fluid-filled does not usually reopen by itself, so a gynecologist’s assessment is needed.
7. Can I consult Welling Homeopathy online about tubal problems?
Yes. You can share your scan reports and consult our specialists online from anywhere. We have been consulting patients online for 25 years.
Related Reading
- What Is The Natural Treatment For Blocked Fallopian Tubes?
- What is IVF Treatment? Steps, Success Rate, Cost, Risks and a Natural Alternative
- Female Infertility Treatment: Causes, Tests and Homeopathy Care
- Getting Pregnant Naturally: A Natural Alternative to IVF Treatment
More on blocked tubes and IVF
- Homeopathy Treatment of Blocked Fallopian Tubes
- What is IVF Treatment? Steps, Success Rate, Cost, Risks and a Natural Alternative
- What Is The Success Rate Of IVF? By Age, By Cycle and How To Improve It
- Female Infertility Treatment: Causes, Tests and Homeopathy Care
- Homeopathy Infertility Treatment: HART, a Proven Way to Conceive Naturally
To consult Welling Homeopathy experts, call +91 80 80 850 950.
Disclaimer: this page is for information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Results vary from person to person.
