There are times when the human body just doesn’t work the way it should. When the sperm meets the egg, it is supposed to fertilize the egg before the egg moves into the uterus where it implants and grows. In some cases, a tubal pregnancy occurs leading to an unproductive and dangerous pregnancy. The medical name for a tubal pregnancy is ectopic pregnancy. While the egg will implant in the “tube” most of the time, there are instances where the implantation occurred in the cervix or ovary.
What Does Tubal Mean to My Pregnancy?
Tubal or ectopic pregnancies are not viable. And they are very dangerous. This simply means the pregnancy will have to be terminated before the baby grows too large to cause physical damage to the pregnant woman. In many cases, pain and cramping on one side is the reason women seek medical attention. They may not even know they are pregnant when the pain begins. After a pregnancy test and ultrasound, the pregnancy will be diagnosed as tubal and emergency surgery will be performed to remove the implanted egg from the fallopian tube.
Is There Any Way to Save a Tubal Pregnancy?
There is no medical procedure to remove the implanted egg from the fallopian tube and reseat it in the uterus. Once implantation occurs, the egg starts to grow rapidly, soon turning into a fetus. Tubal pregnancies typically cause pain before significant growth occurs. If the tubal pregnancy is left to grow in the fallopian tube, the tubal will eventually cause damage and cause the fallopian tube to burst causing internal bleeding. The fallopian tube is not made to stretch and hold a fetus to term.
What Happens After Diagnosis of a Tubal Pregnancy?
If the tubal pregnancy is caught early enough, the attending obstetrician may prescribe medicine to abort the egg allowing it to move out of the fallopian tube. More often, a surgical procedure is needed to remove the tubal pregnancy. During this procedure, the doctor will assess whether the fallopian tube has been damaged or not. If so, it could be removed.
Will I be able to Get Pregnant After a Tubal Pregnancy?
There is no reason why you should not be able to conceive again if this was your first tubal pregnancy. It may be harder to get pregnant and your risk of having another tubal pregnancy is much higher than normal. If this is your second tubal pregnancy and your fallopian tubes were removed there are options for pregnancy in the future. Speak to your obstetrician about possible reconstructive surgery options.