Today I received a question on my Facebook business page. The lady was asking whether or not it is possible to get pregnant without Fallopian tubes. That’s a short answer that I gave her:
The simple answer is YES, it is possible to get pregnant. Let me explain in few words WHY and HOW it might be possible.
Here we are talking about 3 parts: 2 ovaries, 2 Fallopian tubes and the uterus. Ovaries store our eggs. Fallopian tubes are pathways for the egg to travel from ovaries to the uterus. Every 28 days or so, one mature egg is released from the ovary. This is called ovulation. After the egg is released, it moves into the Fallopian tube where it stays for about 24 hours. If the egg is not fertilized during that time, the egg breaks down and the period begins 11-16 days later.
The mature egg is fertilized when it is joined with a sperm cell. This usually happens after a penis has ejaculated semen inside a vagina. Sperm is contained in the semen which travels up the vagina, through the cervix and uterus and into the Fallopian tubes. If an egg is less than 24 hours old, it can be fertilized by a sperm. Most eggs are fertilized by sperm while still in the Fallopian tube. The fertilized egg then travels down the Fallopian tube into the uterus. This can take 1-2 days. When the egg reaches the uterus, it may attach itself to the uterine lining (the endometrium) and pregnancy will begin.
In the case, when the fallopian tubes are cut, IVF (In vitro fertilization) is a way to get pregnant. How does IVF work? IVF works by using a combination of medicines and surgical procedures to help sperm fertilize an egg, and help the fertilized egg implant in your uterus. First, a patient takes medication that makes several of the eggs mature and ready for fertilization. Then the doctor takes the eggs out of the body and mixes them with sperm in a lab, to help the sperm fertilize the eggs. Then they put 1 or more fertilized eggs (embryos) directly into the uterus. Pregnancy happens if any of the embryos implant in the lining of your uterus.
