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By Barbara Kunz, Ph.D., Staff Writer
In a normal pregnancy, a fertilized egg travels from the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it grows to full term. In a tubal pregnancy, the egg (or zygote) gets stuck in the fallopian tube. The stuck egg soon starts to stretch the fallopian tube.
Left untreated, the tube could burst and cause severe bleeding. Tubal pregnancies never end with a healthy baby. There is a very good chance, however, that the next pregnancy will be normal.
Symptoms
In the beginning, a tubal pregnancy seems like a normal pregnancy. Symptoms include a missed period, breast tenderness and possibly morning sickness.
Unlike the uterus, the fallopian tube isn't able to stretch and make room for the growing zygote. When space in the tube gets too tight, symptoms appear that aren't present in normal pregnancies.
- Belly pain, often sharp or stabbing.
- Vaginal spotting or bleeding.
- Dizziness and fainting if the loss of blood is severe. This requires immediate treatment.
How do I know if I have a tubal pregnancy?
A doctor will do a pelvic exam to find where the pain is located. A blood test for pregnancy is also done. The pregnancy hormone can be detected as early as 10 days after conception. The hormone levels in the blood double every two days for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. When the placenta grows in a fallopian tube, less of this hormone is produced. That means hormone levels will be lower than expected if the pregnancy is tubal.
About six weeks after conception, an ultrasound can show where the zygote has attached itself. If symptoms appear earlier in the pregnancy, doctors often wait and check the level of the pregnancy hormone every two days until an ultrasound can be done.
Treatment
In the early stages, a tubal pregnancy may be treated with an injection that stops the zygote from growing. The woman's body then reabsorbs the tissue. This leaves no scars.
If the zygote is too big, or if the tube is already damaged, surgery will be done. If possible, the doctor will repair the tube.
After treatment for a tubal pregnancy, the doctor continues to test the pregnancy hormone. If it doesn't disappear, it may mean that some tissue was missed.
Future Pregnancies
Many women have successful pregnancies after a tubal pregnancy. If one tube has been damaged or removed, the other tube can take over. That tube can transport the egg to the uterus. If both tubes are removed, in-vitro fertilization is often successful, since the uterus is still healthy.
After one tubal pregnancy, there is a 10 percent chance of having another one. After two, that risk rises to 50 percent.
Time to heal
Losing a pregnancy is devastating no matter how it happens. Both your body and your mind need time to heal.
When you get pregnant again, see your doctor as soon as possible. A tubal pregnancy can't be prevented, but it can be detected early.
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