What is Ectopic Pregnancy

Posted by ACIMC Webmaster
By-Dr.Alveena Arslan Meer
ART Coordinator(MBBS)& Online Counselor

Can I get pregnant again after an Ectopic pregnancy?

Yes, after Ectopic Pregnancy Treatment, it is quite possible to have healthy pregnancies. However, it depends on the type of treatment you have undergone. If one of your fallopian tubes has been removed then it is difficult to become pregnant. Moreover, there is also a chance that if you have ectopic surgery one time then there is a possibility to have such pregnancy in the future too.

Causes and Risks

Pelvic Inflammatory disease can be the reason for such type of pregnancy which is an infection in the female reproductive system and is caused by sexually transmitted infection. It can cause blockage in the fallopian tube due to which the egg cannot be moved from the fallopian tube to the womb. Several induced abortions increase the risk of such type of pregnancy. Moreover, if you are trying to conceive after tubal ligation which is a birth control method, can cause complication in the pregnancy and can result in ectopic pregnancy. In addition to that if you have undergone pelvic or abdominal surgery or the age at the time of conceiving is between 35 to 45 then it can result in such kind of pregnancy. Endometriosis can also result in such pregnancy in which cells grow outside the uterus from the lining of the uterus. These cells cause blocking in the fallopian tubes

Diagnosis

In order to examine whether your pregnancy is ectopic, the doctor will carry the pelvic exam which will check the shape of the uterus. After that urine tests and blood tests will be carried out to check hCG. The level of hCG will determine whether you have an ectopic pregnancy or not as your hCG level will below if you have an ectopic pregnancy. Further, the sonogram which captures the snapshot of the sound waves will be used to determine whether the pregnancy is in the fallopian tube or in the wrong place. In addition to that culdocentesis, diagnosis can also be considered in which needle is inserted at the top of the vagina to check if there is any blood or not. If there is blood then the ruptured fallopian tube can be the cause of the bleeding

Treatment

The treatment depends on the intensity of the bleeding and other symptoms. Laparoscopic surgery is carried out to treat Ectopic Pregnancy Surgery. A laparoscope which consists of a thin tube equipped with a camera and light is passed by making a cut in the abdomen. Once the doctor examined the area which is infected then the treatment is carried out. Either the fallopian tube is repaired or removed completely. It depends on the bleeding and the damage to the fallopian tube. If the bleeding is light then salpingostomy i-e repairing of the tube method is carried out. If the bleeding and damage caused is severe then the salpingectomy method i-e removal of the tube is carried out. If the ectopic pregnancy is in early-stage then the medication is carried out. This medication prevents the growth of the cell. Methotrexate medicine is injected in the body and it will stop the ectopic pregnancy. A certain diagnosis should be done before carrying this medication. The HCG test will be carried out after medication to ensure that whether the treatment is going right or whether a medication needs to carried out further.