Fertility after salpingostomy following mechanically produced hydrosalpinx in rabbits

Microsurgical salpingostomy results in 90% of tubes remaining patent following surgery. Although pregnancy rates have improved to a slight extent, the percentage of patients having live babies after salpingostomy is still disappointing. The discrepancy between patency rates and pregnancy rates seems to be due mainly to long standing tubal damage after the original infection. Possibly, raised intraluminal pressure from accumulated fluid may be a factor. Mechanically produced hydrosalpinges in rabbits show similar morphological characteristics to human hydrosalpinges (Vasquez et al., 1981, Otubu et al., 1984). This rabbit model was used in this study to examine the relationship between the severity of these changes and fertility after salpingostomy. Mechanical hydrosalpinges were produced in thirty mature New Zealand white rabbits by double clip application. After a period varying from 8 to 52 weeks of clip application, cuff salpingostomy and ampullary-isthmic anastomosis was done. One week after surgery, the animals were mated with bucks of proven fertility. There were pregnancies in all the uterine horns on the unoperated side (control) in all animals. There were pregnancies on the operated side in only two animals giving a pregnancy rate of 6.7%. A total of sixteen tubes were patent out of thirty operated, giving a patency rate of 53.3%. Adhesion was a major problem. We conclude that fertility is reduced after salpingostomy in mechanically produced hydrosalpinges in rabbits. The significance of this finding is discussed.