Other Reproductive Surgery Pages:      Tubal Reversal          Adhesions          Endometriosis   

Sections on this page: [Tubal Fertility Surgery] [Endometriosis]
[Adhesions] [Alternatives to Hysterectomy] [Dr. Martin]

Reproductive surgery includes a wide range of operations designed for different purposes.  Most operations save the uterus, tubes and ovaries.  Operations such as tubal reversal increase fertility while others such as tubal ligation decrease fertility.

Tubal Fertility Surgery

Tubal fertility surgery includes tubal sterilization reversal and opening tubes blocked by endometriosis or infection at the fingered end (hydrosalpinx) or at the uterine margin (cornual).

When tubes have been tied, ligated, cut, clipped or burned, these can be repaired using outpatient surgery in order to restore fertility.  Microsurgical tubal reversal, anastomosis and reanastomosis are terms used to describe repair or untying of a tube or both tubes using microsurgery.  These can be used after a sterilization procedure such as tying, cutting, clipping or burning the tubes and after cornual damage to a tube by infection.  This operation also has other names such as repairing tubes, having the tubes untied, and undoing a tubal ligation.

Tubal reversal was originally an in-patient operation.  Since the 1980s, this has been done on an out-patient basis.  Out-patient surgery has lowered the cost and is more affordable than in-patient operations. An alternate site is at Fertility.Bizland.

Scarring from infection or other inflammation can block the fingered ends of the tubes at the opening near the ovaries.  The blocked tube is called a hydrosalpinx.  Hydrosalpinx means "water tube" and describes the balloon like appearance of fluids trapped in the blocked tube.  A hydrosalpinx can be opened using laparoscopy (belly button surgery) or laparotomy (open surgery) to perform a salpingostomy (surgical opening in the tube).

The cornua is the inner opening from the uterus to the tube.  A blockage at the cornual will sometimes open on antibiotics or hormones.  When surgery is needed, hysteroscopy and cannulation can sometimes avoid open anastomosis.

Surgery using laparoscopy (belly-button surgery) can sometimes be used when tubes are blocked or damaged by endometriosis or adhesions from infection or other inflammation.

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Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a confusing disease.  Some women have few problems while other women have disabling pain, infertility, cysts or nodules that require surgery.

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Adhesions

Adhesions can cause major problems with fertility.  Although adhesions can be removed at surgery, surgery can also cause adhesions.  The more damage there is during surgery, the greater the chance that adhesions will occur.

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Alternatives to Hysterectomy

Hysterectomy is a major operation that many women wish to avoid.  Alternatives to hysterectomy are treatments based on the problems that cause uterine problems. The most common example is alternative treatment for fibroids.

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Dr. Dan Martin

Dr. Martin trained in Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility and Reproductive Surgery with Dr Howard Jones and Dr Georgeanna Seegar Jones while in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics and the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital 1972 to 1977.  He studied microsurgical tubal techniques with Dr. Brian Cohen in Memphis 1977 to 1979.  Dr. Martin became a charter member of the Society of Reproductive Surgeons in 1984.  He has been president of both the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists and the Gynecologic Surgery Society.

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