Hydrosalpinx- come and go?

[babyonmymind]

hi Ladies, I just found out last Friday that I was diagnosed at some point (before my lap and hyst about 6 weeks ago) with a left hydrosalpinx. I was never told this before. I only had been told that there was questionable blocking on my RIGHT tube about a year prior on an HSG.

I had a lap and hyst. done about 6 weeks ago, and the RE said all looked fine, both tubes were open, etc. He said nothing about hydrosalpinx. But now I'm in an IVF cycle, and there was fluid in my uterus up until the day of HCG shot. I'm very concerned if the fluid is the more toxic hydrosalpinx fluid, or just maybe mucous, or left over blood, or something else. I'm trying to figure this out today, as I just had retrieval this morning, and need to decide if I should go ahead and transfer on Wed. or freeze the embryos at 2PN to transfer next month or on any 'no-fluid in uterus' cycle.

Any experience or input would be greatly appreciated! Can hydrosalpinx come and go?

Tia
ttc #1

[Josie1021]

Tia - Interesting that you have only been told now.

I think in your shoes I would grill my RE about possible options. Maybe you can transfer if you take antibiotics but my understanding is that the chances are better for IVF once the tube is removed.

Hopefully someone here has personal experience of this.

Good luck and let us know what you decide

Josie

[TinyTrudy]

Me again here is some information I found from Dr. Sher @ SIRM:

Damage to the fallopian tubes as a result of prior infection, endometriosis or previous pelvic surgery is one of the most common causes of fertility. Tubal blockage can occur in several locations. Often the ends of the tubes are obstructed, while the openings into the uterus are still patent. In many cases the tubes fill with fluid. We call this hydrosalpinges. While for patients with significant tubal disease, surgery is not indicated to improve fertility outcome in the era of IVF. The exception is the presence of hydrosalpinges. Recent literature has shown that fluid in swollen tubes, which contains dead cells and other noxious products, is highly toxic to embryos. In addition the fluid can leak back into the uterus and cause a mechanical barrier to implantation. Patients with hydrosalpinges should strongly consider having their tubes removed or ligated prior to undergoing treatment. It is often hard for patients to accept that their tubes will be gone, as it means that conception is impossible without assistance. However the presence of hydrosalpinges means that the tubes are non-functional and even if these tubes could be rendered patent (open), the likelihood of pregnancy occurring would be remote.

Hope this helps.

[michellle]

Tia,
I have bilateral hydro (not detected on u/s) and I am . I didn't remove my tubes prior IVF because of adhesions...I took a chance and transferred two beautiful embies and only one took. However you have better chances if hydros are not seen on u/s. I don't think that the liquid on your uterus is related to hydro..because the doc said you don't have hydro anymore right? If you don't have hydro than the fluid is not coming from tubes?? let me know...

Well...good luck and take care

Michelle
edd 04/27/06 :

[babyonmymind]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I never heard from the REs, even after leaving another (urgent) message this morning... but the embryologist called this morning to say that 6 eggs fertilized to embies! I explained to her what was going on since she needed to know if we were going to freeze at 2PN this morning, or not. SHE pulled an RE aside to get their opinion on my case, thank G-d, and then she called back to say that because the surgery showed no blockage (after the diagnoses of left hydrosalpinx before the surgery, which I'm completely baffled about and was never told at the time), that in her opinion we should just go ahead with transfer because she didn't think it was hydro fluid. I've had this fluid problem pretty persistently through IUI and IVF cycles ... I wish I knew what the problem was and where it came from. As I think I mentioned before... I had possible blockage in a RIGHT tube on HSG about a year ago... and so have no idea how they diagnosed a LEFT hydro at any point on me before this surgery. I asked if it could have been from a sono done about a month before surgery, but the embryologist said no she thought it all looked good then too. So I'm stumped. Anyway... looks like I'm on to transfer on Wed. Please wish me and these little embryos luck! I'm going to transfer them all because of my age.

Tia
for #1

[MollyKate]

Hi Tia-

I have a hydrosalplanix on one side and a blocked tube on the other - I did get pregnant naturally about 6 moonths ago but m/c in the 6th week (they could never see a sac so it stictly chemical. We did IVF and transferred 2 embies - am pregnant now week five starts tomorrow. Wishig you the best of luck!

Molly

[hope2004]

I had bilateral hydros that could be seen on u/s to the point that the left ovary could not be visualized. My RE decided to go ahead and remove the tubes because they were so damaged and would probably make it impossible for the IVF to work. The tubes were so damaged and there were so many adhesions that they could not be removed but just got tied so the fluid could not drain back into the uterus. After 10+ years of TTC I was pretty sure that a natural conception would not take place so I'm absolutely fine with the surgery.

My RE did advise me though that they usually do not do this type of surgery unless the damage is very extensive (like mine) - or if women have one failed IVF cycle.

I would recommend that you talk to your RE and get all the pro's and con's.

Petra

[olina]

Hi Tia,
I also had a hydro in my left tube caused by an ectopic pregnancy (4 years ago) It was discovered by the end of my stimulation ( day 9) and I didn't have time to have it removed!! So we tryed the cycle anyway using 2 perfect grade Blasts. It came BFN!!! This was in September ( I had a previous cycle also BFN in July) Now I think I should have listen to myself better that my RE, and freeze EVERYTHING!!!!!!! 'Cause all the medical papers says HYDRO is detrimental in IVF.It reduces the chances significantly.
So I decided to do an HSG and of course it came back with a Hydrosalpinx result. I'm having the surgery tomorrow.
After trying 2 consecutives BFN cycles, and spending so much money, now after the surgery, I'm going to give my other tube a chance and try to concive naturally for 6 months.If it doesn't work I'll try with my 3 frozen Blasts that we still have.
I've read in pubmed.com many cases reports in which they got naturally pregnant after the salpingectomy, in the case of unilateral hydro.And in the case of bilateral hydro, the surgery has impruved the chances of having a BFP cycle in IVF.
I would suggest to go to pubmed.com, look for hydrosalpinx ,IVF (that's how you have to put it) and read all the papers you can!!!!!!!!! even try to look for the case reports.
Best luck tou all of you, Stay in touch,
Georgina

[babyonmymind]

Thanks so much everyone for your input. This was really a tough decsion for me....I do tend to trust myself more than most... BUT I really do love my RE, (he's a brilliant caring man that truly does seem to want to see us get preggo), and he suggested to go ahead and transfer. I was so up in the air right up until the day before transfer, I left a message that I was inclined to freeze them all this cycle and do a transfer next month, but that I would leave the final decision up to his call. A nurse called me back (about 15 hours before transfer) and said she spoke to him and he thinks I should proceed. So.........I said OK, we're going ahead w/ transfer. Transfer was on Wed... I had 6 good embies (they sure looked beautiful to me in the pic!). 2 7 cell, 2 8 cell, 1 9 cell and 1 10 cell. Four were graded 2ab or 2b, one was 3ab, and one 3b. The embryologist said all were good. Because of my age, (just turned 41), and previous failed tries, (and in case the fluid in uterus did indeed decrease my risk as I had read in the study), I asked to transfer them all to increase my changes of a pregnancy. Almost to my surprise, they let me. I had terrible second thoughts during the first day or so (maybe due to hormones)....hoping to G-d I didn't give these beautiful embies death sentences by transferring the in a uterus that had fluid during the cycle that may be toxic to them....but I keep going back to my RE saying he thought I shoud transfer, and that he knows way more than I do. I'm neurotically bed ridden since Wed, even used a bedpan...haha. My sweet mom came up to help wait on me so I don't have to get out of bed. I did acupuncture right before and after the transfer. Now just the dreaded 2WW. for all of us. Georgina, thanks for your post... had I read it before the transfer it just may have been the push I needed to decide to freeze. During some of this process we just feel so helpless aren't we? And if we disagree with what our clinic says we're looked at as trouble makers or something, and we so desperately don't want to be outcast from a place we need so much to help us have our baby! It's all so difficult sometimes isn't it?

Good luck to us all,...settling in now for wat I'm sure will be about the longest 2 weeks of my life,
Tia
for #1

[NatC]

Tia-
I'm very excited for you! Hope those babies are tucking themselves in nicely. Just lay around for the 2ww...watch lots of movies!!! I'll be thinking of you!!!

Nat