Nature intended that fallopian tubes are necessary for conception. But what should those women do who, for one reason or another, had them removed or bandaged? Many patients ask the gynecologist whether it is possible to get pregnant and give birth to the much-desired baby with one tube or without them at all? Luckily, you can! Of course, a favorable outcome depends on many factors, and there are some nuances that we will discuss in the article. We’ll also find out what cross-fertilization is and how real it is.
A little about ovulation
All women know that the menstrual cycle is 26-35 days. Around the middle of each cycle, ovulation occurs - the release of an egg from the ovary in order to unite with a sperm. If the meeting does not occur, the female cell dies and menstruation begins again.
If you listen carefully to your body, you can detect the sensations and signs of ovulation. Most women note an increase in libido, high spirits, and improvement in the condition of their 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 purchase an ovulation test strip or use the method of measuring basal temperature. On the temperature curve, the day of ovulation is indicated by the lowest point.
The role of the fallopian tubes in conception
The fallopian tubes are a kind of corridor in which the egg and sperm meet after ovulation. This is where, in most cases, fertilization of the female cell occurs. The tubes are located on both sides of the uterus and connect to the ovaries. On average, the length of the fallopian tubes does not exceed 12 cm, and their diameter does not exceed 5 mm.
The fimbriae 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 villi that line the inner surface of the tubes, moves along it. The epithelial layer is activated under the influence of the hormone estrogen, which is synthesized at this time by the ovaries. Thus, the female reproductive cell purposefully moves towards the exit. The most active sperm are approaching her.
After the fusion is 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 tubal removal
Unfortunately, in some cases, doctors are forced to remove the fallopian tubes. Based on the patient's clinical picture, the fallopian tubes can be partially or completely removed. Let's consider cases in which a doctor may prescribe such an operation:
Injury or surgery in which the pipes were damaged.
Inflammatory processes, for example, adnexitis.
The presence of adhesions in the tubes that cannot be removed surgically.
Frozen pregnancy.
Naturally, women have a negative attitude towards the removal of their appendages, especially when plans include having a child. But sometimes removing an organ is the only correct decision to preserve the health and even life of a woman.
How to get pregnant with one tube?
Fortunately, for successful conception, one tube is enough. True, at the same time it must 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 becoming pregnant are reduced by 50%. This is fundamentally wrong; in fact, for most women, the likelihood 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. The gynecologist will definitely ask about the following factors:
General health of the woman.
Patency of the remaining tube.
The presence of any diseases of the genitourinary system.
Psychological readiness of a couple to become parents.
As you can see, getting pregnant naturally even in this case is quite possible. 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 have already said that it is possible to conceive a child with one tube, but in this case it was assumed that both ovaries were functioning properly. But what if, for example, a woman has only a healthy left ovary and only a right fallopian tube? Among representatives of the fair sex who have a history of removal of appendages, the term “cross-fertilization” is very popular.
On various forums you can find dozens of reviews from 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 side. Participants in the discussions tell less fortunate readers in full color about how cross-fertilization occurs, thereby instilling hopes for successful conception even in such a seemingly hopeless situation.
Doctors' opinions
In fact, the term “cross-fertilization” is not very popular among 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 itself is located. The main thing is that the oviduct is healthy, and the rest can be solved.
Cross-fertilization with one tube, according to doctors, is nothing more than the most common natural conception with one tube. You should not focus on which side exactly the organs are located on; the main thing is proper functioning.
Is it possible to get pregnant if the tubes are blocked?
It happens that a woman cannot get pregnant for a long time, but according to tests and examinations there are no visible reasons for this. Then the doctor refers the patient to HSG of the fallopian tubes in order to exclude tubal factor infertility.
If the doctor discovers adhesions or certain formations in the oviduct, then appropriate therapy or a minor operation to restore patency is prescribed. Sometimes they resort to plastic surgery, for example, when the tubes are very thin and cannot pass the egg.
In cases where the adhesive process has gone far and treatment does not produce results, unfortunately, laboratory methods remain the only ways to conceive and give birth to a child.
Not everything is lost
Unfortunately, it will not be possible to conceive a child naturally 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 may offer IVF or ICSI to a loving couple.
The IVF procedure is carried out in laboratory conditions and can help even those couples who have been diagnosed with infertility, both on the part of the woman and on the part of the man. Let us briefly describe 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 are selected.
The germ cells are placed in a special incubator, the conditions of which are as similar as possible to the fallopian tubes.
On the 5-6th day, the embryo is implanted into the uterine cavity.
With a favorable outcome, such a pregnancy proceeds without any differences from a natural one.
As for ICSI, the procedure as a whole is largely similar to the previous one, the only difference is that in ICSI the seed material is even more carefully selected and the preparation for fusion with the egg is slightly different.
Bottom line
There is always a chance of conceiving with one single tube or even without them. As practice shows, women successfully become pregnant and give birth to healthy children, even if one of the oviducts is removed or ligated. As for “cross-fertilization,” experts consider such a concept to be fictitious and recommend not focusing on which side exactly the appendages are located on.
Throughout their lives, women may encounter various diseases, the consequences of which may include removal of the fallopian tube. Often after this, patients panic, because the oviduct is an organ that plays an important role in conception.
However, don't despair. Gynecologists say that a woman can become pregnant without one or even both tubes. Is it possible to give birth with one fallopian tube? This is quite possible. However, this requires the presence of certain conditions.
The fallopian tubes are a paired organ. It consists of two thread-like canals that go from the uterus to the ovaries. The length of the fallopian tube reaches an average of 11 cm, and the diameter is no more than 0.5 cm. After ovulation, the villi located in the fallopian tubes capture the mature egg and move it inside the tube.
Source: saudedica.com.br
It is in the fallopian tube that the sperm merges with the egg, after which the resulting zygote moves through it to the uterus, where it will develop. The decision to remove the fallopian tube is made by the doctor. The indication for this is usually:
- pipe damage (during surgery or any injury);
- filling the organ cavity with liquid, mucus;
- damage to the fallopian tubes due to severe inflammation (in this case, the integrity of the tube or its villi may be damaged, the walls may stick together, etc.);
- the presence of adhesions that cannot be cured;
- prolonged bleeding that developed during salpingotomy;
- deformation of the organ, increase in size;
- development of ectopic pregnancy;
- IVF planning (although more often in this case the tubes are tied).
As you can understand, pipe removal is carried out in extreme cases. Sometimes this procedure is the main condition for saving the patient’s life. Removing the affected tubes will help increase the chances of a successful pregnancy after IVF.
In general, pregnancy with one tube has positive reviews. It proceeds in the same way as in patients with two oviducts. This feature does not affect the process of bearing a child and childbirth.
Pregnancy
Getting pregnant with one tube is much easier than many people think. If a woman has one tube removed or ligated, pregnancy can occur thanks to the second.
However, this requires one important condition - the second pipe must be absolutely healthy and function correctly.
There is a myth that the chances of getting pregnant with one fallopian tube are automatically reduced to 50%. However, in reality, this figure in some patients decreases by only 10%.
When talking about whether it is possible to give birth with one tube, you need to take into account many factors.
The following indicators are important in this case:
- the woman's health status;
- tendency to diseases of the reproductive organs;
- patency of the second pipe.
It also matters how responsibly the man and woman approached the issue of conception, whether the deadlines and planning recommendations given by the doctor were followed.
If a woman is patient and follows all the necessary rules, pregnancy with one tube will become quite possible for her.
Diagnostics
To understand what chances a woman has of getting pregnant with one tube, as well as to reduce the risk of ectopic pregnancy (which often occurs when the tube is partially patency), she is prescribed special diagnostic procedures:
- Hysterosalpingography is a study during which a gynecologist checks the patency of the oviducts using a special solution and x-rays.
- Hydrosalpingography - a special solution is injected into the fallopian tube. The doctor monitors how it moves through the organ using an ultrasound machine.
- Laparoscopy. It is a surgical intervention. The surgeon makes several punctures in the patient’s lower abdomen, after which he uses special instruments to check the patency of the tubes. He can watch all his actions on the monitor screen. The advantages of laparoscopy include the fact that it allows not only to detect obstruction, but also to eliminate it. Thus, the chances of pregnancy after lapara with one tube will increase significantly.
- Fertiloscopy. In this case, medical instruments are inserted through punctures in the vaginal wall.
In addition to the above procedures, to assess the chances of pregnancy, the doctor may recommend that the woman undergo an ovulation test and a blood test for hormones.
It is also important to examine the woman’s partner and perform a spirogram. Thus, it will be possible to understand how suitable male reproductive cells are for fertilization. If abnormalities are detected in any of the partners, treatment is prescribed.
The probability of pregnancy with one fallopian tube is quite high, provided that the remaining oviduct is absolutely healthy. It does not matter which pipe has been preserved: the right one or the left one.
For pregnancy to occur after tubal removal, partners must have regular sexual intercourse and not use contraception. During pregnancy planning, both men and women should give up bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol), eat right, be often in nature, and avoid stressful situations if possible.
Light exercise won't hurt either. They will help improve blood circulation in the pelvic organs, eliminate blood stagnation and speed up the restoration of damaged tissues.
If a woman has previously had an ectopic pregnancy, she needs to adhere to all doctor’s recommendations and, if necessary, undergo a course of drug therapy and physical therapy. If a woman knows when she ovulates, it will also be much easier for her to conceive.
You can determine ovulation like this:
- Use diagnostic tests. They are sold in pharmacies and are similar to pregnancy tests and work on the same principle. The procedure must be performed in the middle of the cycle for 5 days. You can determine the first day of testing as follows: subtract 17 from the total duration of the cycle. The resulting number must be counted from the first day of menstruation. You need to test once a day. There is no need to do this more often.
- Check your basal temperature. This should be done in the morning after waking up, before getting out of bed. You can measure the temperature in the vagina or rectum. An increase in temperature to 37 degrees or more indicates ovulation.
During the period of conception, a woman must psychologically tune in to the fact that everything will work out for her. The man should also support her in this, because they both want a child.
Gynecologists advise planning a pregnancy after tube removal after 7 months (on average). This time is necessary for the complete restoration of women's health after surgery. During this period, patients are usually prescribed hormonal contraceptives. They will help avoid pregnancy and give the ovaries a chance to “rest.”
Don't be afraid of hormonal drugs. Contrary to popular belief, they do not harm the body and, on the contrary, are beneficial for the reproductive system. This has been proven by numerous studies.
OCs suppress ovulation, make cervical mucus thicker (this protects the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries from negative influences from external factors) and improve hormonal levels.
After discontinuation of the OC, the ovaries begin to work more intensively, as a result of which not one, but several eggs can mature in a woman in one cycle. Thus, the chances of pregnancy after stopping OC with one tube increase significantly.
Today, cross-fertilization is discussed quite often. The essence of this phenomenon is that a healthy fallopian tube intercepts a mature egg that has come out of the ovary, on the side of which there is no tube. Next, the egg moves through this tube to the uterus and if it meets a sperm, it merges with it.
Cross-pregnancy with one tube is rare, but it does occur.
Infertility
The alarm should be sounded if, after 1 year of regular attempts to conceive, a woman has failed to become pregnant. This indicates infertility. In this case, partners should seek medical help. They will likely be offered in vitro fertilization, or ICSI.
Conception without tubes
Even those women who have both oviducts removed have a chance to carry the fetus and give birth to a child on their own. This does not require the help of a surrogate mother.
To achieve pregnancy without fallopian tubes, the patient can resort to the following procedures:
The gynecologist performs ovulation stimulation using hormonal drugs. Thanks to this, a woman matures not just one oocyte, as usual, but several. Next, the mature eggs are collected. For fertilization, the sperm of a man with whom the woman is in a relationship or donor sperm can be used. Before fertilization, biological material is sorted.
The specialist selects only high-quality eggs and sperm. After fertilization, the egg remains in the laboratory for some time, in the most suitable environment, and only after a few days the resulting embryos are transferred to the uterine cavity. Finally, the gynecologist checks whether the embryos have taken root in the uterus and in what quantity. If necessary, excess embryos are removed.
- ICSI.
This procedure is almost similar to IVF. Its difference lies in the fact that with it, specialists perform an even more careful selection of germ cells.
However, it is important to understand that pregnancy without tubes is impossible naturally. If we talk about whether there were cases of pregnancy naturally without fallopian tubes, then such cases have not yet been observed.
I had an ectopic pregnancy and a tube removal. I’m trying to understand this point for myself: does cross-fertilization exist (and is it possible to talk about such a phenomenon)? There are very few publications on this topic on the Internet. There are those who vehemently deny such a possibility in principle, and there are those who claim that this happens, because after surgery, the ovary may change its location, i.e. become closer to the uterus, and accordingly to the opposite fallopian tube. In this case, the mobile fallopian tube can be “attracted” to the opposite ovary. In your opinion, is there really such a possibility? I read several stories about how girls ovulated and corpus luteum in the same ovary, where there is no tube, but pregnancy still occurred.
I am studying the topic due to the fact that the left tube was removed, and ovulation in the last year occurs in the left ovary. Ovulation was never confirmed in the right ovary. Doctors are trying to refer me to IVF, and I am looking for at least some information that will give me hope for a natural pregnancy.
Answered by Berezovskaya E.P.
I know many women who became pregnant without any problems with one tube. This is NOT called cross-fertilization (actually, I'm amazed who came up with this nonsense). This is a NORMAL phenomenon in a woman's life. And you must move away from the myth that the ovaries must ovulate in turn. In fact, they ovulate as they want. If your doctor tries to force a different point of view on you, change doctor. If you are suffering from infertility, know your exact diagnosis. Maybe the problem isn't you at all.
1. Give definitions of concepts.
Fertilization
is the process of fusion of a sperm and an egg, as a result of which their genetic material is combined and a zygote is formed.
Cross fertilization
- fusion of germ cells from different individuals.
Self-fertilization
- fusion of germ cells of one individual.
External fertilization
– fertilization that occurs outside the mother’s body.
Internal fertilization
- fertilization that occurs inside the female's body.
Double fertilization
- a process in which one of the sperm fuses with the egg, and the second fuses with the central cell of the embryo sac. The embryo develops from the fertilized egg, and the secondary endosperm of the seed, containing nutrients, develops from the central cell.
2. Complete the diagram.
3. What is the biological meaning of internal fertilization?
The germ cells are protected from external influences, and accordingly the chance of successful fertilization is increased. If development occurs inside the mother’s body, then the developing organism is protected from external influences, and it is also constantly supplied with all the necessary substances.
4. Why does fertilization occur very rarely when organisms belonging to different species are crossed?
Different species have different genotypes, that is, different chromosome contents, and different chemical compositions of the cytoplasm of the egg and the nucleus of the sperm. Therefore, different species, even those belonging to the same family, order, suborder, have a different set of chromosomes, which complicates or even limits fertilization.
5. Why is fertilization, characteristic of angiosperms, called double?
This is a sexual process in angiosperms in which both the egg and the central cell of the embryo sac are fertilized. Double fertilization involves both sperm, brought into the embryo sac by the pollen tube; the nucleus of one sperm fuses with the nucleus of the egg, the nucleus of the second fuses with the polar nuclei or with the secondary nucleus of the embryo sac. The embryo develops from the fertilized egg, and the endosperm develops from the central cell.
6. Remember, based on the knowledge gained from studying other biology courses, what is the prerequisite for successful fertilization in bryophytes and pteridophytes.
The presence of water, since their sperm are immobile and do not have flagella.
7. Male gametes of higher spore plants and male gametes of animals are called spermatozoa, and male gametes of seed plants are called sperm. Try to explain why different names are used for similar objects.
Both are haploid male reproductive cells.
Sperm do not have flagella and move along the pollen tube. Characteristic of gymnosperms and angiosperms.
Spermatozoa are motile and have a flagellum.
8. Where are artificial insemination techniques currently used?
In breeding and agriculture, animal husbandry and crop production for the breeding and improvement of new breeds and varieties. In perinatal centers for IVF.
9. Express your opinion on the use of artificial insemination in modern medicine.
Artificial insemination is a huge step forward in modern medicine. Today they do IVF - in vitro fertilization, when the egg is fertilized outside the body, and artificial fertilization - with donor sperm. Many families in which spouses suffered from infertility were able to solve their problem.
10. Choose the correct answer.
Test 1.
There are 18 chromosomes in the nucleus of the egg of an animal, therefore, in the nucleus of the sperm of this animal:
2) 18 chromosomes;
Test 2.
In mammals, during the process of fertilization:
2) fusion of the nuclei of the sperm and egg;
Test 3.
As a result of double fertilization in angiosperms, the following are formed:
3) one diploid and one triploid cell;
11. Explain the origin and general meaning of the word (term), based on the meaning of the roots that make it up.
12. Select a term and explain how its modern meaning matches the original meaning of its roots.
Selected term: zygote.
Compliance – fully consistent with its original meaning.
13. Formulate and write down the main ideas of § 3.7.
To form a new organism, fertilization is necessary - the process of fusion of a sperm and an egg, as a result of which their genetic material is combined and a zygote is formed. Fertilization can be cross-fertilization (several individuals participate) or self-fertilization (1 individual); external (outside the female’s body) and internal (inside the female’s body). Internally it has advantages - germ cells are protected from external influences, the chance of successful fertilization is increased.
Double fertilization is a method in angiosperms in which one of the sperm fuses with the egg, and the second fuses with the central cell of the embryo sac. The embryo develops from the fertilized egg, and the endosperm of the seed develops from the central cell.
Artificial insemination – used in breeding, agriculture and medicine.
