Tubal patency testing

One of the causes of infertility can be a partial or complete blockage of one or both of a woman’s fallopian tubes.

Common reasons for blocked fallopian tubes include:

• pelvic inflammatory disease
• sexually transmitted diseases, especially chlamydia and gonorrhoea
• abdominal surgery
• ectopic pregnancy
• endometriosis

During the test, the patency of the fallopian tubes is assessed with a special gel (ExEm foam). The test is performed under ultrasound guidance in the first phase of the menstrual cycle.

The test is an alternative to other tubal patency assessment procedures, like laparoscopy or X-ray HSG. Tubal patency testing is performed by a gynaecologist on an outpatient basis without surgical intervention and with local anaesthesia.

The test takes 15-20 minutes, including preparation time. You may feel slight discomfort and pain during the test. After the procedure, your gynaecologist will immediately discuss the results with you.