Hydrosalpinx and IVF: Effect and Management

Laparoscopic surgery, including salpingectomy or tubal occlusion, has been shown to improve IVF outcome for patients with a hydrosalpinx [10]. However, this procedure has many drawbacks, including its invasiveness, technical difficulty if there are pelvic adhesions, the possibility of surgical injury (e.g. visceral injury, vascular damage, or unintended Abstract: Patients with a hydrosalpinx have been found to have significantly poorer IVF outcome than do patients with tubal factor infertility but no hydrosalpinx. The exact mechanism by which hydrosalpingial fluid impacts implantation and pregnancy is not clear; however, many theories exist. The rationale behind treatment of hydrosalpinx prior to IVF is to eliminate the detrimental effect of hydrosalpingel fluid either by removing the fallopian tube (salpingectomy) or by isolating it from the uterine cavity (laparoscopic or hysteroscopic occlusion, or Essure insert), or by aspirating the hydrosalpingel fluid (ultrasound-guided).