Spontaneous pregnancy rate after fallopian tube recanalization for unilateral obstruction with a patent contralateral tube

Abstract

Background: Infertility is a common sociomedical problem worldwide, affecting up to 15% of couples. Tubal obstruction is currently one of the most important causes of female infertility. This study was designed to determine the spontaneous pregnancy rate in patients undergoing unilateral transcervical fallopian tube recanalization, performed by an interventional radiologist, for proximal fallopian tube obstruction with a patent contralateral tube. The secondary objective was to analyze pregnancy rates in relation to the type and duration of infertility, patient age, and body mass index. Results: Thirty-eight patients with unilateral tube obstruction were included in this study. Transcervical fallopian tube recanalization was successfully performed in all cohorts. At the one-year follow-up; 13 women (34.2%) had become pregnant, nine (23.7%) delivered healthy babies, and four (10.5%) had miscarriages. The time interval between the application of the technique and spontaneous pregnancy was 1–12 months, with a mean of approximately 4 months. Multivariate analysis showed a significantly higher pregnancy rate in young (< 35 years), nonobese (BMI < 30 kg/m2) females with a history of primary infertility for < 5 years. Minor complications were noted in 27 patients (71%). No major complications were noted. Conclusions: Our study showed that transcervical fallopian tube recanalization of proximal fallopian tube obstruction with a patent contralateral tube increased the spontaneous pregnancy rate in cases of tubal factor infertility. Moreover, transcervical fallopian tube recanalization is recommended as a first-line treatment for women with unilateral proximal fallopian tube obstruction and a patent contralateral tube owing to the low risks associated.