And although this pathology has been known to doctors since the Middle Ages, it has been relatively recently learned to deal with it effectively. Now the treatment not only guarantees the patient's health, but also the opportunity to have children in the future.
What it is?
As the name suggests, ectopic pregnancy is the fixation of a fertilized egg not in the uterus, but in other parts of the reproductive system. Most often it is in the fallopian tube, but it is not uncommon for an egg to be removed from the ovary or from the abdominal cavity.
Such problems are connected with the fact that the woman has insufficient permeability of pipes, and the fetus simply can not get into the uterus. And because it is constantly growing, there is a big risk of a pipe rupture if the fetus is too large. In especially severe cases, blood can enter the abdominal cavity and even lead to death.
Among the most likely causes of ectopic pregnancy are the following:
- impaired tubal permeability
- abortions or recent severe labor
- inflammatory processes or diseases of the genitals
- pathology of the uterine tube itself. Still it is called infantilism. Such pipes are too narrow, tortuous and unable to contract to such an extent as to push through the egg.
How to determine such a pregnancy?
The problem is that the most common test will show ectopic pregnancy, as normal. After all, the egg was indeed fertilized and the fetus began to develop. Therefore, after you have learned about your delicate situation, immediately consult a gynecologist who will prescribe the first ultrasound to find out the location of the embryo.
In principle, it is possible to learn about the wrong course of pregnancy on special symptoms:
- Bloody discharge from the vagina. In any case, any such signs are already a weighty reason for going to the gynecologist, since during pregnancy, a woman needs to be very careful about all incomprehensible or painful sensations.
- Pain in the lower abdomen. At first they will not be too strong, but as the fetus grows, they will increase. The last stage is the rupture of the tube with the flow of blood into the abdominal cavity. The patient will feel it. The pain will be very sharp and something like a fight. Some even have a loss of consciousness.
- If you notice even the slightest sign, immediately consult a doctor. Most likely, you will be offered to undergo in-patient treatment. If the fact of having an ectopic pregnancy is confirmed, in a hospital under constant supervision, doctors will be able to quickly and easily determine the location of the embryo fixation and remove it with relatively gentle methods.
Treatment of pathology directly depends on the period of pregnancy. At the earliest stage, laparoscopy is performed. With the help of a special tool, the egg is "sucked" out of the body, without damaging other tissues and organs, and after the course of treatment it will be possible to repeat the attempt to become a mother.
In complex clinical cases, a closed operation is performed. If the tube has not exploded yet, the fetus is surgically removed, but when the worst happened and the internal bleeding has opened, the pipe has to be removed.