Tubal Patency Testing
To ensure an egg may move from her ovary to her uterus, tubal patency testing is required before a patient begins any treatment which requires unblocked (ie ‘patent’) Fallopian tubes, including:
- ovulation induction (OI)
- IUI
MFS checks tubal patency using the HyCoSy (sometimes known as Echovist) procedure, where a starch solution containing millions of microscopic bubbles is injected through the cervix, under ultrasound guidance, to reveal an outline of the uterine cavity. If the Fallopian tubes are not blocked, the bubble liquid can be tracked flowing through the uterus, into the tubes and spilling out through the ovaries and into the pelvis. Any discomfort, or the need to increase the pressure of the injection, or any delay to the liquid spilling through the ovaries may indicate tubal blockage. This in itself may identify the cause of the infertility and it may also indicate that neither OI nor IUI are suitable treatments for the patient.
Blockage may be caused by scarring from an earlier infection such as Chlamydia, fibroids or endometriosis. MFS will be able to advise if the blockage may be removed or whether an alternative fertility treatment, such as IVF, which doesn’t require patent Fallopian tubes, is recommended instead.
Costs
Cost of the HyCosy tubal patency testing at MFS: £335
More information
- Read a PDF of the MFS booklet: ‘Intrauterine Insemination’
- Read a PDF of the MFS leaflet: ‘Purchasing Sperm’