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 Fallopian Tube Recanalization (FTR). In the procedure, which does not require an incision, a thin tube (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: Treatment for Varicoceles

Varicoceles -- tangled blood vessels, or varicose veins, in the testicles is a major cause of male infertility. Interventional radiologists treat varicoceles without surgery with a procedure known as varicocele embolization. A thin tube (catheter) is threaded through a small nick in the skin and into the affected vein in the testicle. An embolization agent -- either a drug, a small balloon or tiny metal coils -- is injected through the catheter to block off the varicocele. The swollen vessel shrinks, often resolving the infertility problem.

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