In some cases, endometriosis may twist the reproductive organs out of their normal alignment, preventing the ova from reaching the fallopian tubes. Otherwise, it is not fully understood how endometriosis interferes with fertility. Research indicates that the errant tissue may have some influence on the ovum after it is released from the ovary. The Fallopian Tubes. This requires surgical removal to prevent rupture of the tube and other serious complications.
Some surgeons try to leave the tube intact, but often it is damaged beyond repair.
A woman with only one functioning fallopian tube has her chances of pregnancy cut in half. Before these tests are ordered, however, a doctor may try insufflation of the fallopian tubes, in which carbon dioxide, a gas readily absorbed into the body, is blown gently through the uterus and escapes through the fallopian tubes. This test enables the physician to determine whether the tubes are open. The tubes are muscular, so there is bound to be some resistance to passage of the gas, but properly open tubes accept the gas at a steady rate. Sometimes the physician listens with a stethoscope on the abdomen to determine the rate at which the gas is escaping.