INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

                Minimally Invasive Alternatives to Surgery

Copyright © 2008, Joel Garris MD, FACR. All rights reserved.

Some common causes of infertility in both women and men can now be treated without surgery by interventional radiologists. Often these treatments do not require hospitalization or general anesthesia. Patients usually may return to normal activity shortly after the procedure:

INFERTILITY

Female Infertility: Blockage of the Fallopian Tube

The most common cause of female infertility is a blockage of the fallopian tube through which eggs pass from the ovary to the uterus. Occasionally, these tubes become plugged or narrowed, preventing successful pregnancy.

Interventional radiologists can diagnose and treat a blockage in the fallopian tubes with a nonsurgical procedure known as selective salpingography. In the procedure, which does not require an incision, a catheter is placed into the uterus. A contrast agent, or dye, is injected through the catheter, and an X-ray image of the uterine cavity is obtained. When a blockage of the fallopian tube is identified, another catheter is threaded into the fallopian tube to open the blockage.

Male Infertility: Varicocele

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The most common cause of male infertility is a varicocele.  This is essentially a varicose vein next to the testicle and it can cause pain and discomfort as well.  Varicocele may be treated with a minimally invasive procedure called varicocele embolization.  This is a painless, outpatient procedure performed by an interventional radiologist and take about 45 minutes.  Patients are send home after the procedure and can resume normal activities the following day.  Varicocele is also treated in patients without infertility if it is causing pain and discomfort and may produce testicular atrophy if left untreated.

Infertility

Learn more about varicocele