please help

[DeniseS]

Hi there My daughter is about to start IVF treatment and after consultation she has been advised to be sterilized before the procedure starts due to the fact that her tubes are damaged As you can imagine she is upset about this as once sterilized it cannot be reversed so any little chance of getting pregnant naturally has gone. The doctor explained this would help the treatment to work better. I feel psycologicaly this may affect her. Has anyone out there heard of this procedure
Denise

[catwhitfield]

Hi Denise

I think the reasoning behind what your daughters doctor is asking her to do is because of the possibility of hydrosalpinges. When fallopian tubes become damaged, scarred or blocked they can fill up with water almost to the size of sausages. This fluid is what is produced normally by fallopian tubes to help move the egg towards the womb after ovulation. When tubes are damaged they can still produce this fluid but obioulsy it has nowhere to go.

When left for a while it can begin to seep into the womb and because it is almost "stagnant" it can have a toxic effect on any implanting embryo and cause miscarriage. Many people with damaged tubes are offered such surgery before embarking on IVF.

Also with IVF there is a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy than without natural pregnancy and if the tubes are tied then this reduces the possibility of this happening.

I hope this helps and good luck to your daughter