For patients

Signs and symptoms

What is female infertility?

Infertility is when one is unable to get pregnant after 6 to 12 months of regular sexual intercourse without the use of birth control. In some cases, female infertility can result from problems with the reproductive organs, hormones and even lifestyle factors. Infertility can also be caused by a blockage of the fallopian tube(s), the passages that the eggs travel through to get from the ovaries to the uterus (womb). If the fallopian tubes become plugged or narrowed, the egg may be prevented from reaching the uterus. Your physician can perform various diagnostic tests to determine the cause of your infertility. Blocked fallopian tubes do not often present with symptoms other than difficulty conceiving.

Minimally invasive options

How do IRs treat blocked fallopian tubes?

If a fallopian tube blockage is discovered, an interventional radiologist may be able to help you by recanalizing (or unblocking) the affected fallopian tube.

Fallopian tube recanalization is performed by an IR using X-ray images. Similar to an exam in your gynecologist’s office, a speculum is first inserted into the vagina. Through the speculum, the IR passes a small, flexible tube (known as a catheter) into the vagina, through the cervix, and into the uterus to determine what is causing the blockage and, if possible, to open the blockage. Once the procedure is completed, the IR will remove the catheter and speculum and give you guidance on posttreatment care.

Who is a candidate for fallopian tube recanalization?

Women who have been diagnosed with blocked fallopian tubes based on the standard diagnostic procedure used to assess the openness of fallopian tubes, known as hysterosalpingogram (HSG), and/or women who underwent a selective salpingography to confirm their HSG diagnosis, may be good candidates for fallopian tube recanalization.