Long-term fertility prognosis following selective salpingography and tubal catheterization in women with proximal tubal blockage

BACKGROUND: The possibility of conception following selective salpingography and tubal catheterization is believed to decline sharply a few months after the procedure. This observation may be due to the relatively small number of patients and short follow-up of previous studies. Furthermore, couples with other causes of infertility apart from proximal tubal blockage have usually been excluded. METHODS: Survival analysis of conceptions of 218 consecutive infertile women with proximal tubal blockage who underwent selective salpingography and tubal catheterization was performed. There were no exclusion criteria. Follow-up ranged from 16 to 56 months. RESULTS: A total of 47.2% of spontaneous conceptions and 43.2% of all conceptions, apart from those achieved by IVF or ICSI treatments, occurred after the first 12 months following selective salpingography and tubal catheterization. The decline in the possibility of pregnancy during the study period (conception hazard rate) was only minimal. CONCLUSIONS: In a population of infertile women with proximal tubal blockage, a significant proportion of conceptions occur after the first 12 months following selective salpingography and tubal catheterization. The presence of any additional causes of infertility in the couple should not be regarded as an absolute contraindication to the procedure.