Laparoscopic tuboplasty for mild distal tubal disease

To review tuboplasty techniques for alleviating fallopian tube blockage.

A step-by-step explanation of the techniques that comprise tuboplasty-fimbrioplasty, salpingo-ovariolysis, and salpingostomy-with surgical video footage.

Academic medical center.

A 28-year-old G0 female patient with primary infertility and bilateral fallopian tube occlusion wanting to avoid in vitro fertilization.

Tuboplasty and its component techniques of fimbrioplasty, salpingo-ovariolysis, and salpingostomy are demonstrated in a stepwise fashion for a case of mild tubal disease. Fimbrioplasty includes identifying the agglutinated or phimosed fimbrial end and gently opening it with fine forceps and blunt microdissection. Salpingo-ovariolysis is demonstrated with video and comprises: 1) surveying the anatomy; 2) applying traction to delineate the adhesions; and 3) transecting the adhesions with microsurgical scissors or electrosurgery. Finally, the steps of a salpingostomy are demonstrated, including: 1) identifying the length of the fallopian tube; 2) performing chromotubation to delineate tubal obstruction; 3) creating a salpingostomy at the terminal end; and 4) suturing open the salpingostomy site circumferentially to evert the edges.

Successful restoration of normal tubal anatomy and identification of the location of tubal occlusion to guide salpingostomy site placement.

The fallopian tubes were assessed bilaterally and noted to have mild tubal disease and therefore were appropriate for tuboplasty. Normal tubal anatomy was restored bilaterally through salpingo-ovariolysis. Subsequent identification of the area of tubal occlusion bilaterally and salpingostomy were performed to create a patent fallopian tube able to pick up an oocyte from the ovary and facilitate fertilization.

Tubal reconstructive surgery remains an important option to offer patients who want to avoid in vitro fertilization and who have mild tubal disease.