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Risks from surgery

Surgery carries a ten per cent risk of a subsequent ectopic pregnancy. In addition, the greater the level of tubal damage, the lower the likelihood of successful surgery and subsequent pregnancy.

One episode of pelvic infection can lead to infertility in up to 15 per cent of women. The more episodes of infection a woman has had, the greater the risk of tubal damage. It is therefore important that pelvic infection is treated promptly. Whether there has been pelvic infection, endometriosis or some other cause, sometimes the tubes are not actually blocked but are covered by adhesions at the ends or around the ovaries. These adhesions prevent release of the egg or stop the tube picking it up. In this instance, the best treatment is often in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Alternatively, you could have tubal surgery to try to release the blockage, which is particularly useful if adhesions are stopping the release of the egg or preventing it from being picked up by the tube. While microsurgical techniques can be used to correct a mildly blocked tube, success rates are variable and not usually as effective as IVF.