HELP! Worried about Hydrosalpinx- advice please

Preparing For Your Next Pregnancy
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Hi there- I was hoping for some advice if possible.

I had an ectopic pregnancy in 2015 which resulted in a salpingectomy (right). We paid privately for IVF/ ICSI in 2017 (due to my BMI being too high for NHS plus we didn’t want to have to wait any longer). This resulted in a miscarriage (high AMH but poor egg quality, I have PCOS).

We fell pregnant naturally in June 2018 but devastatingly this turned out to be a left-side ectopic. This was managed by Methotrexate on the GEM3 trial and luckily it worked.

Since then, I have become extremely anxious and distressed and perhaps a bit overly focused on my fertility. I found out about a condition called Hydrosalpinx where in cases of a remaining tube post-ectopic pregnancy, the tube can become filled with toxic fluid and other debris. This effectively will ruin any chances of pregnancy via IVF.

We are planning to seek further self-funded help (my weight is going down but not enough for NHS criteria and at 37 y/o, time is running out). I am now deeply concerned that I could have developed Hydrosalpinx in my left tube.

Can anyone advise me on how I can get this checked out asap? Wwe decided to change clinics following the last ICSI due to not having a particularly good experience with them so I haven’t spoken to the new clinic yet about this. I am now thinking that if I do have Hydrosalpinx, then I will need to get the fluid drained or (my worst fear) more surgery that leaves me bed-ridden and in pain. Because I will need time to recover from this before any fertility treatment.

Do you think it would be reasonable for me to go to my GP to ask for a referral to NHS gynae for a scan to determine whether there are any tubal problems remaining? Do you think that my GP would agree to this if I still don’t meet NHS fertility treatment criteria? Or would they likely see this as a gynae issue and not a fertility treatment one?

I feel sick with worry and can’t get this new potential problem out of my head!

Thanks in advance for your help!

EmWem x

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Dear EmWem,

I am sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and losses.

I very much understand that strong desire to conceive. I appreciate how frustrating it can be if it isn’t happening as quickly as we would like. Sadly I am not medically trained so cannot give specific information on your questions but I would advise talking to your GP about your concerns.

We often read about health related things and convince ourselves this is happening to us, this is completely normal, but if you remain concerned I would chat to your GP and your fertility specialist, especially if you are experiencing any symptoms such as ongoing pain or discomfort.

Sending much love,

Karen x

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Further information is available at www.ectopic.org.uk

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Hi Karen- thanks for getting back to me. You’re absolutely right- I did need to speak to a medic. I met with a doctor from a fertility clinic who advised a laparoscopy ASAP. Unfortunately these things weren’t explained following my ectopic treatment and I’ve had some bad experiences with doctors in the past which has got in the way of me speaking up when I know something is wrong. Luckily, things seem to be progressing.

I would say to anyone who has experienced an ectopic and retained the tube- get a referral to gynaecology asap.

Emmy x

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Hi there,

A HSG - tubal patency test might be a good starting point for you. I am in Australia so not sure how your health system works, but I was referred for this test by a fertility specialist. If you have hydrosalpinx this should be indicated in the test as the dye won’t flow through your tubes. I hope whatever you choose to do that it goes well for you.