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Blocked fallopian tubes are the cause for nearly one quarter of all infertility cases. This is something that infertility specialists deal with a lot. Surgical removal of blockages is a common treatment option. In Vitro Fertilization, IVF, is another option for bypassing the problem.

tubal blockage can include one or both fallopian tubes. Tubal scarring is one thing that can cause tubes to become blocked. Endometriosis can cause endometrial implants to grow inside the fallopian tubes and inhibit an egg from passing through. Sometimes infection, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, is the cause of tubal blockages.

When infertility causes are being diagnosed, your infertility specialist may order a test called a hysterosalpingogram. For this procedure, a dye will be injected vaginally into the uterine cavity through the cervix. The dye makes the uterus and fallopian tubes visible on an x-ray. If there is no blockage in the fallopian tubes, then the dye should travel up through the uterus, into the fallopian tubes and out into the abdominal cavity. If there is a blockage, then the dye will stop at the blocked site. This will tell your infertility specialist if there is a blockage near the entrance to the tube from your uterus, or if it is further down the tube. This can be very helpful when suggesting treatment options.

A hysterosalpingogram is also useful for helping your doctor spot other problems. Uterine abnormalities, polyps, defects in the fallopian tubes, tumors, scar tissue and fibroids can all be more clearly seen on a hysterosalpingogram.

One common cause of tubal blockage infertility is actually due to a tubal ligation. Many women change their minds after they have had this procedure and decide that they want to become pregnant again. Tubal reversal surgery can be attempted and sometimes accomplished by laparotomy. This is a major surgery requiring a large incision and considerable recovery time, so weigh all of your options before you commit.

One option for any woman experiencing tubal blockage, either caused by infection, scarring or tubal ligation, is In Vitro Fertilization. IVF is not an invasive surgery and has high success rated for women with tubal blockage problems. Results are usually known in under two weeks rather than waiting up to a year after surgery to see if the tubal blockage surgery worked.

How can tubal surgery help you with your infertility problems? You might ask this if you don't realize that the leading cause of infertility is tubal blockage brought on by pelvic inflammatory disease. And tubal blockage can be removed through tubal surgery.

It might shock you to learn all this. After all, you didn't go in to have your tubes tied. You just can't get pregnant. So how could your tubes possibly be blocked?

Well, that's the unfortunate reality for over 100,000 women a year. Pelvic inflammatory disease does not necessarily cause symptoms that would be of great concern unless you have a rather severe case. You and your doctor could possibly be ignoring the signs that you have this infection. Not only is that possibly bad for your future children, the really bad news is you could have recurring cases of the bacteria getting into your fallopian tubes.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is easily overcome with proper care including antibiotics. The unfortunate result of PID, however, can be tubal blockage caused by scarring or other problems. This scarring cannot be overcome by antibiotics. The end result is you are infertile or you can only have ectopic pregnancies because the egg gets "stuck" before getting to the uterus or the sperm cannot reach the egg at all.

This is where tubal surgery comes in. Tubal surgery, when done by qualified reproductive endocrinologists with the right training and experience, can remove the tubal blockage. This allows you a chance to become pregnant by removing the damaged parts of your fallopian tubes.

Now, you might wonder, if you have gone so far as seeing a fertility specialist about your infertility problems, why he suggests IVF over a tubal surgery. The simple reason is that most reproductive endocrinologists are not being trained in the surgical procedure today. You will have a very special one indeed if he or she even saw such a surgery during their training rotations. It doesn't hurt that overall IVF is more expensive than tubal surgery. Think about what that means to what type of procedure they would rather do.

If your problems have indeed been caused by tubal blockage as a result of some type of reproductive system disease, check out having a tubal surgery to correct the results of that disease once you are cured. Remember, a tubal surgery is a one time procedure where you can try and try again to get pregnant rather than having to pay each time you want a child.