As your doctor investigates possibilities of your infertility, he inevitably will examine the health of your fallopian tubes.
In fact, it may actually be one of his first concerns. Injury or damage to this area of the reproductive system is the most common cause of female infertility.
Your fertilized eggs won't be able to revel the length of these tubes to nestle themselves cozily in the uterus if the tubes are blocking their passage.
What are the fallopian tubes?
To answer the first question on your mind: Yes. Fallopian tubes really are "tubes" -- and a pair of them at that. As you read and investigate the topic further, you may see -- or hear -- them called either the oviducts or uterine tubes. They are all the same thing.
Located in the pelvic cavity, your fallopian tubes stretch the length between your uterus and your ovaries. They're approximately three to four inches long and surprisingly not physically attached to the ovaries (What was Mother Nature thinking here?). The tubes actually open into the abdominal cavity, within very close proximity of the ovaries.
Why are they so important?
Your fallopian tubes assume a major role not only in ovulation, but the eventual conception of a child as well. For conception to occur, it's vital for an egg to get fertilized and the resulting embryo to reach your uterus. And this just won't happen on it's one without the help of the fallopian tubes.
When your egg breaks out of its follicle, it's released from your ovary. At this time, your fallopian tubes "grab" this egg with a set of projections that act very much like fingers. It's then pushed into the tubal structure itself.
While in the tube, the egg is continually being nudged along the tube by tiny hairs. Here your partner's sperm may fertilize it while it's traveling through the tubes. Its final destination: your ovaries.
Your fallopian tubes, by the way, are coated with a special lining to ensure the fertilized egg -- now technically your embryo -- remains safe and healthy during its travels (Pretty miraculous, eh?)
Several conditions may cause a blockage of the tubes including complications from a previous surgery, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease or even an ectopic pregnancy.
Your physician will probably want to perform a series of tests to officially diagnosis your tubal blockage. One such test is called a hysterosalpingogram or HSG. We talked about this already in the treatments chapter. The method, and we discussed this one as well, is a laparoscopic surgery.
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