Selective salpingography: preliminary experience of an office operative option for proximal tubal recanalization

To evaluate treatment efficacy and patient acceptability of the new Radiographic Tubal Assessment Set (RTAS) (Cook Ireland Ltd., Limerick, Ireland) for selective salpingography (SSG).

33 women, between 23 and 38 years old, referred to the Fertility Centre of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Second University of Naples, for sterility problems, underwent an office operative SSG with the RTAS. Of the 33 women, 12 had bilateral tubal obstruction (Group A) and 21 had unilateral tubal obstruction (Group B). Patients who did not regain tubal patency were referred for laparoscopic surgery. To verify patient acceptability, a visual analogue score (VAS 1-10) of pain was completed immediately after the procedure.

From a total of 45 obstructed fallopian tubes, 34 were recanalized, giving a success rate for the procedure of 75.6% (p<0.001). Nine patients with bilateral tubal obstruction (Group A) had the tubes recanalized and five obtained a spontaneous pregnancy. Sixteen patients with monolateral tubal obstruction (Group B) had the tubes recanalized and nine obtained a spontaneous pregnancy. A total of seven patients were sent for operative laparoscopy: four of them had the tubes recanalized and two obtained a spontaneous pregnancy. One patient was lost to follow-up. The evaluation of the level of pain felt during the procedure on the 10 cm VAS showed mean pelvic pain 2.9 ± 2.2, and an incidence of no discomfort±low pain significantly higher than moderate±severe pain (p<0.0001).

The RTAS can be considered a safe and effective tool to perform this office operative procedure for tubal recanalization, with a high acceptability for the patient. The "see and treat" approach in patients with proximal tubal obstruction (PTO) suggests for the future the use of this device under sonographic guidance, taking into account accurate patient selection.