The fallopian tubes are responsible for carrying eggs (oocytes) from the ovary to the uterus. To do this, the tubes use two mechanisms. One of them is to make muscle contractions that push the contents of the tubes in a very similar way to the contractions of the intestine that move food through the digestive system. The other mechanism is through small hairs (cilia) in the cells that line the inside of the tubes. These cilia move the egg toward the uterus much like escalators move people between floors.
In addition to this, the tubes must allow the sperm that come from the vagina to swim up in the opposite direction to the egg to meet it, in the farthest part of the tube. The tubes maintain ideal conditions for the egg and sperm to come together, fertilization occurs and then they must provide nutrients for the embryo during the first 4 days of life.
All of these tubal functions can be altered by factors such as inflammation, infection, or scarring after pelvic surgeries such as ovarian surgery or appendicitis. These factors can damage the cilia of the cells, cause adhesions that prevent the tubes from moving freely or even completely obstruct the tubes.
What to do with blocked tubes?
When the tubal obstruction is in one place (e.g., tubal ligation) or when there are external adhesions such as after appendicitis or peritonitis, the problem can be corrected with tubal surgery.
On the other hand, when the inflammation and damage have been inside the fallopian tubes and the cells that have cilia have been damaged, the probability of obtaining a pregnancy is very low by doing corrective surgery and the best treatment option is in vitro fertilization.
In vitro fertilization, eggs are removed and fertilized with sperm in the laboratory. The fertilized eggs are then introduced into the uterus through the vagina, not passing through the fallopian tube.
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