Nature conceived so that fallopian tubes are necessary for conception. But what about those women who, for one reason or another, were removed or bandaged? Many patients ask a gynecologist a question about whether it is possible to get pregnant and give birth to a much-desired baby with one tube or even without them? Fortunately, you can! Of course, a favorable outcome depends on many factors, and there are some nuances that we will discuss in the article. We also learn what cross-fertilization is and how realistic it is.
A bit about ovulation
All women know that the menstrual cycle is 26-35 days. Approximately in the middle of each cycle, ovulation occurs - the egg leaves the ovary in order to connect with the sperm. If the meeting does not occur, the female cell dies and menstruation begins again.
If you carefully listen to your body, you can catch the sensations and signs of ovulation. Most women note an increase in libido, high spirits, and improvement in the condition of the skin, hair and nails during this period.
But even if there are no sensations, and you need to determine whether the ovaries are functioning, you can always buy a test strip for ovulation or use the method of measuring basal temperature. On the temperature curve, the day of ovulation is indicated by the lowest mark.
The role of the fallopian tubes in conception
The fallopian tubes are a kind of corridor in which the ovum and sperm are found after ovulation. It is here that in most cases the fertilization of the female cell occurs. Tubes are located on two sides of the uterus and are connected to the ovaries. On average, the length of the fallopian tubes does not exceed 12 cm, and in diameter not more than 5 mm.
Fringes of the fallopian tubes cover the ovary and literally catch the egg. First, the female cell enters the tube from the ovary and, with the help of the villi that line the inner surface of the tubes, moves along it. The epithelium layer is activated by the hormone estrogen, which is synthesized by the ovaries at this time. Thus, the female reproductive cell purposefully moves to the exit. Toward her approaching the most active sperm.
After the merger was successful, these same villi push the zygote into the uterine cavity. In addition, the fallopian tubes protect and nourish the future embryo on its way to the uterus.
Indications for removal of the fallopian tubes
Unfortunately, in some cases, doctors are forced to remove the fallopian tubes. Based on the patient’s clinical picture, the fallopian tubes can be removed partially or completely. Consider the cases in which the doctor can prescribe such an operation:
Injury or surgery in which the pipes were damaged.
Inflammatory processes, for example, adnexitis.
The presence in the tubes of adhesions that cannot be removed by surgery.
Frozen pregnancy.
Naturally, women are negatively inclined to remove their appendages, especially when the plan is to have a baby. But sometimes, removing an organ is the only right solution to preserve the health and even life of a woman.
How to get pregnant with one tube?
Fortunately, for a successful conception, it is enough to have one pipe. True, at the same time, it should be well passable and capable of ensuring the movement of the zygote to the uterus. There is a misconception that with the loss of one oviduct, a woman's chances of getting pregnant are reduced by 50%. This is fundamentally not true, in fact, for most women, the probability of becoming a mother is reduced by only 10-20%.
In order to determine the possibility of conception, the patient must consult a doctor and undergo appropriate examinations. A gynecologist will certainly be interested in the following factors:
The general state of health of a woman.
Patency of the remaining tube.
The presence of any diseases of the genitourinary system.
How accurately the terms and recommendations were followed after removal of the fallopian tube.
The psychological readiness of the couple to become parents.
As you can see, it is quite possible to get pregnant naturally even in this case. But before you get pregnant with one tube, it is important to undergo a full examination and carefully prepare for the upcoming process.
Cross fertilization: what is it?
We already said that it is possible to conceive a child in the presence of one tube, but in this case it was implied that both ovaries are functioning properly. But what if, for example, a woman has only the left ovary healthy and only the right fallopian tube? Among the fair sex, who have a history of removal of the appendages, the term "cross fertilization" is very popular.
At various forums, you can find dozens of reviews of women who claim that they managed to get pregnant by some miracle, because the ovary is on one side, and the fallopian tube is only on the other. Participants in discussions in all colors tell less fortunate readers about how cross fertilization occurs, thereby inspiring hope for a successful conception even in such a seemingly hopeless situation.
Doctors opinions
In fact, the term “cross-fertilization” is not very popular with gynecologists. After all, doctors believe that this is a fictitious concept and such a phenomenon is completely normal for a healthy woman. That is, the fallopian tube is quite capable of catching an egg from another ovary and even from the abdominal cavity, regardless of where it is located. The main thing is that the oviduct is healthy, and the rest is solvable.
Cross fertilization with a single tube, according to doctors, is nothing more than the most common conception in a natural way with a single tube. You should not focus on which side the organs are located on, the main thing is proper functioning.
Is it possible to get pregnant if the pipes are impassable?
It so happens that a woman for a long time can not become pregnant, and according to analyzes and examinations, there are no obvious reasons for this. Then the doctor directs the patient to the GHA of the fallopian tubes in order to exclude the tubal factor of infertility.
If the doctor detects adhesions or some formations in the oviduct, then appropriate therapy or a small operation to restore patency is prescribed. Sometimes they resort to plastic, for example, when the tubes are very thin and can not miss the egg.
In cases where the adhesive process has gone far and treatment does not give a result, unfortunately, the only ways to conceive and give birth to a child are laboratory methods.
Not everything is lost
Unfortunately, it will not be possible to conceive a child in a natural way if the fallopian tubes do not function or are completely absent. But in this case, modern medicine comes to the aid of those who want to have children. Doctors can offer a loving couple of IVF or ICSI.
The IVF procedure is carried out in the laboratory and can help even those couples who are diagnosed with infertility, both on the part of the woman and on the part of the man. We will briefly tell you what the procedure is:
First, hormonal support is prescribed to stimulate the maturation of new eggs in the ovaries.
Mature female reproductive cells are extracted from the ovary. The healthiest sperm cells are selected.
Sex cells are placed in a special incubator, the conditions of which are most similar to the fallopian tubes.
On the 5-6th day, the embryo is implanted in the uterine cavity.
With a favorable outcome, such a pregnancy proceeds without any differences from the natural one.
As for ICSI, the procedure as a whole is in many respects similar to the previous one, the only difference is that ICSI selects seed material and a slightly different preparation for fusion with the egg even more carefully.
Total
There are always chances to conceive with one single tube and even without them. As practice shows, women successfully become pregnant and give birth to healthy babies, even if one of the oviducts is removed or bandaged. As for the "cross fertilization", experts consider this concept to be fictitious and recommend not to focus on which side of the appendages are located.