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Table 1.  

Etiology of Proximal Tubal Obstruction.

Box 1.  

Fallopian Tube Recanalization Techniques.

Table 2.  

Summary of Results Following Various Endoscopic Fallopian Tube Recanalization Techniques.

CME

Fallopian Tube Recanalization: Lessons Learnt and Future Challenges

  • Authors: Gautam N. Allahbadia, MD; Rubina Merchant, PhD
  • CME Released: 7/2/2010
  • THIS ACTIVITY HAS EXPIRED
  • Valid for credit through: 7/2/2011
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Target Audience and Goal Statement

This activity is intended for primary care clinicians, infertility specialists, gynecologists, and other specialists who care for women with fallopian tube obstruction.

The goal of this activity is to review procedures for the diagnosis of fallopian tube obstruction and its management to improve fertility outcomes.

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the prevalence of false-positive and false-negative diagnoses of proximal tube obstruction (PTO) with hysterosalpingography
  2. Describe the frequency of PTO as a cause of subfertility
  3. Identify indications for and contraindications to transluminal salpingoplasty
  4. List different uses of falloposcopy in the management of PTO
  5. Identify advantages and disadvantages of falloposcopy over hysterosalpingography and laparoscopy in PTO


Disclosures

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Medscape, LLC, encourages Authors to identify investigational products or off-label uses of products regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, at first mention and where appropriate in the content.


Author(s)

  • Gautam N. Allahbadia, MD

    Deccan Fertility Clinic, Mumbai, India; Rotunda -- Center for Human Reproduction, Mumbai, India

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Gautam N. Allahbadia, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

  • Rubina Merchant, PhD

    Rotunda -- Center for Human Reproduction, Mumbai, India

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Rubina Merchant, PhD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Editor(s)

  • Elisa Manzotti

    Editorial Director, Future Science Group, London, United Kingdom

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Elisa Manzotti has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

CME Author(s)

  • Désirée Lie, MD, MSEd

    Clinical Professor, Family Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California; Director of Research and Patient Development, Family Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Medical Center, Rossmoor, California

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Désirée Lie, MD, MSEd, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationship:
    Served as a nonproduct speaker for: "Topics in Health" for Merck Speaker Services

CME Reviewer(s)

  • Sarah Fleischman

    CME Program Manager, Medscape, LLC

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Sarah Fleischman has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

  • Marilyn W. Edmunds, PhD, CRNP

    CME Accreditation Specialist, Nurse Practitioner Alternatives

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Marilyn W. Edmunds, PhD, CRNP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.


Accreditation Statements

    For Physicians

  • This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Medscape, LLC and Future Medicine Ltd. Medscape, LLC is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

    Medscape, LLC designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ . Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

    Medscape, LLC staff have disclosed that they have no relevant financial relationships.

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CME

Fallopian Tube Recanalization: Lessons Learnt and Future Challenges: Applications of FTR

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Applications of FTR

Transcervical tubal catheterization procedures for the diagnosis of tubal disease, obliteration, recanalization and medication are minimally invasive procedures that allow transcervical treatment of PTO and can improve our understanding and diagnostic accuracy of tubal disease.[26] True occlusion by amorphous material, flimsy adhesions or a polyp can only be successfully treated by various uterotubal cannulation methods and guidewiring the Fallopian tubes can re-establish tubal patency and fertility.[2] By restoring tubal patency, tubal cannulation can be used effectively in the management of female subfertility secondary to isolated PTO, thus avoiding the need for expensive assisted reproductive techniques.[3] By identifying patients with proximal and distal occlusion (bipolar tubal occlusion) and differentiating between true and false diagnoses of PTO, tubal cannulation eliminates or postpone the need for a costly hysteroscopy or laparoscopy. In contrast to invasive laparotomic and laparoscopic microsurgical interventions, tuboplasty is advantageous because it is minimally invasive with lower peri- and post-operative morbidity, takes less time, anesthesia is rarely required and the risks (e.g., injury of the bowel or bleeding after vessel perforation) are reduced thus resulting in shortened convalescence.[22]

Although radical changes have occurred in the treatment of PTO, the repair of distal and peritubal damage frequently yields disappointing results.[27] Fallopian tube catheterization is diagnostically useful and technically highly successful for treating occluded tubes, however, patients with distally blocked tubes are not good candidates for this procedure.[28,29] Distal isthmic, ampullary or fimbrial occlusions, commonly due to previous pelvic infection or endometriosis, are difficult to recanalize with poor pregnancy rates.

Contraindications

Contraindications to transluminal salpingoplasty include florid infections and genital tuberculosis, long tubal obliterations that are difficult to bypass with the catheter, severe tubal damage, male subfertility and previously performed tubal surgery. Because of the inflammation reaction in florid infections, the tubal wall is vulnerable, susceptible to rupture and, consequently, at risk for peritonitis, while long tubal obliterations that are difficult to bypass with the catheter may also result in a perforation of the tubal wall.[22] Tuberculosis, salpingitis isthmica nodosa, isthmic occlusion with club-changed terminal, ampullar or fimbrial occlusion, and tubal fibrosis have been cited as reasons for recanalization failure.[30] Cobblestone appearance of the distal tubes heralds significant mucosal damage, which is prone to progressive disease and, hence, there is a poor chance for conception.[31] Restoration of the tubal function (i.e., gamete or blastocyst transport) after tuboplasty is unlikely in cases with severe tubal damage. Cases with previous surgery must be well selected prior to tubal interventional surgery.[22] The rate of long-term post interventional re-occlusion seems to be high and must be evaluated in case of a failure to achieve a pregnancy after successful recanalization.