How to Reduce the Risks Associated with HSG after a Tubal Reversal

Those women who choose to have a tubal reversal procedure may not always conceive in a few months after the operation. Should the surgeon who carried out the procedure be unhappy with the situation, he may then recommend that the woman undergo a HSG procedure. It is only through having a hysterosalpingogram that the tubal surgeon will be able to test tubal patency and so determine that the tubal reversal was indeed successful.

However the woman who will have this procedure done needs to be aware that although it is widely used, it will not always provide conclusive or accurate results regarding her fallopian tubes. This is especially true when the dye is unable to reach the site in the fallopian tubes where the repair was made as a tubal spasm may take place.

Although this procedure is relatively simple to carry out, there are still some risks that the woman must be aware of before undergoing it. The problems that HSG can cause in women are infections, fainting, spotting or contrast material allergies. Generally when it comes to spotting after this procedure, it will be very light and only last for a couple of days. But if the spotting continues for more than two days and is much heavier, then the woman should speak to the doctor who carried out the procedure as soon as possible.

There are a number of things which women can do to help reduce the risks of the HSG procedure. Below we offer some tips that women who are going to be having a hysterosalpingogram in the future may find useful.

1 - Ensure that the doctor who is going to carry out the procedure does so after the woman's period has finished but before she starts to ovulate. It should never be carried out when a woman's Luteinizing hormone levels are high or ovulation has started as it could interrupt a pregnancy during the early stages if she has conceived without realising she has.

2 - A woman should ask the doctor who is to carry out the procedure to prescribe a course of antibiotics such as Doxycycline to her. For 2 days before and 5 days after the procedure has been carried out, she will need to take 100mg of this medication twice a day. Taking this medication is a preventive measure to reduce the chances of an infection happening after completion of the procedure.

3 - One more thing that women can do to reduce the risk of an infection is to use a betadine vaginal douche the evening before the procedure and immediately after it has been completed. Talk to your doctor about this.

4 - Finally when women are going to be undergoing an HSG after tubal reversal, they will want to take a good pain killer. Motrin or extra strength Tylenol will help to relieve some of the discomfort felt during the x-ray procedure.

In this article we have offered a number of tips as to what women should be doing before they have an HSG after their tubal reversal. By keeping in mind what we have suggested and by ensuring that they follow their doctor's instructions, they are going to reduce the risks associated with this procedure greatly.

To learn more about having a tubal reversal and then following up with a HSG, please visit the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center website.