Tube removal | Mumsnet

Rankin11 · 2025-02-02T12:23:10+00:00

Hello, I have had recurrent abscesses in my tubes/ovaries and I was hospitalized for one in Jan. They are so damaged now they will need to be removed for IVF. I am on the NHS IVF waiting list, not expecting to be seen for several months, but I am really concerned I will be hugely delayed by waiting for tube removal. Please could anyone share their experiences of either NHS process with a tube removal as part of it, or their experiences of a private tube removal? I'm fortunate enough to get 3 NHS rounds in my area, so I am thinking it might be worth investing in a private salpingectomy to keep my place on the list. Thank you!

Baggott1990 · 04/02/2025 13:39

I had blocked tubes from my appendix bursting and got hospitalised for a TOA, so I totally feel your pain
I went private for my salpingectomy because of the NHS waitings lists (for me it was 2 years) and it was over and done with in 2 months - from first consultation to follow up after op
I used circle health, and they have a finance partner for self funded people that offers 0% interest for 10months. I had one tube removed, not bothered. And I needed two consultants cos my ovary had attached itself to my bowel with the scar tissue. And for that it was about £6k

The process was fast, and the care was excellent. I had no issues being seen or getting answers from queries that arose outside my appointments. I stayed overnight cos my op was in the afternoon, but I recovered quickly. Back at work a week later.
It's expensive, but I was so stressed by the NHS waits that it was worth it for me. Now I'm doing IVF :)

Original poster

Rankin11 · 04/02/2025 16:57

Baggott1990 · 04/02/2025 13:39

I had blocked tubes from my appendix bursting and got hospitalised for a TOA, so I totally feel your pain
I went private for my salpingectomy because of the NHS waitings lists (for me it was 2 years) and it was over and done with in 2 months - from first consultation to follow up after op
I used circle health, and they have a finance partner for self funded people that offers 0% interest for 10months. I had one tube removed, not bothered. And I needed two consultants cos my ovary had attached itself to my bowel with the scar tissue. And for that it was about £6k

The process was fast, and the care was excellent. I had no issues being seen or getting answers from queries that arose outside my appointments. I stayed overnight cos my op was in the afternoon, but I recovered quickly. Back at work a week later.
It's expensive, but I was so stressed by the NHS waits that it was worth it for me. Now I'm doing IVF :)

Thank you so much for this information - this is so helpful!

My gut is telling me to do the same and do a private salpingectomy. I had about 6k in my head as a ball park, so from your response it sounds like that was about right.

The last time I waited for a laparoscopy on the NHS I waited over a year, and I just don't think I could wait a year, plus a few months recovery before doing IVF.

Good luck with your treatment!

OP posts:

BewilderedBee · 25/02/2025 09:23

I think I'll be doing this soon, my tubes have been damaged since appendix rupture/removal as a child. I had an ectopic 2 years ago, ended up in surgery to remove an ovarian cyst and the ectopic. Unfortunately they left the tube in (they say I had ovarian tissue inside the tube), but it's now filled with fluid so il be going private to get it done.
Really worried about it as the surgery from my ectopic was massive and had to be done with open surgery as key hole wasn't possible due to the scarring. I'm hoping this came down to the skill of the surgeon and it will be possible to do key hole this time round!
I feel really let down by the NHS. I have done several transfers at this point and not sure if the fact I still don't have a baby is because of the damaged tubes being there all this time. It's only for my last transfer there was fluid, but I've been doing ivf for a very long time now!

BewilderedBee · 25/02/2025 09:24

I'm now waiting for the ivf clinic to put me in touch with private surgeons! I have no idea where to go with it but really hope I get a good one as I'm so anxious about it!

Baggott1990 · 25/02/2025 12:50

BewilderedBee · 25/02/2025 09:24

I'm now waiting for the ivf clinic to put me in touch with private surgeons! I have no idea where to go with it but really hope I get a good one as I'm so anxious about it!

I did some googling and used circle health website to find a private consultant and book a meeting. I felt so let down by the NHS too, because they lost my scans after referring me to a specialist, so I had no idea what was going on. From my first appointment to the surgery was about 3months, and it was delayed because me and the surgeon had conflicting summer holidays. So it's much faster!

Baggott1990 · 25/02/2025 12:53

BewilderedBee · 25/02/2025 09:23

I think I'll be doing this soon, my tubes have been damaged since appendix rupture/removal as a child. I had an ectopic 2 years ago, ended up in surgery to remove an ovarian cyst and the ectopic. Unfortunately they left the tube in (they say I had ovarian tissue inside the tube), but it's now filled with fluid so il be going private to get it done.
Really worried about it as the surgery from my ectopic was massive and had to be done with open surgery as key hole wasn't possible due to the scarring. I'm hoping this came down to the skill of the surgeon and it will be possible to do key hole this time round!
I feel really let down by the NHS. I have done several transfers at this point and not sure if the fact I still don't have a baby is because of the damaged tubes being there all this time. It's only for my last transfer there was fluid, but I've been doing ivf for a very long time now!

I had severe scarring from my appendix bursting too, which literally attached my ovary to my bowels. But they still managed to do mine as keyhole. Recovery was about two weeks and felt mostly like a really bad period cramp, so it wasn't terrible. Lots of hot water bottles, painkillers and netflix series!

Original poster

Rankin11 · 27/02/2025 22:43

Good luck - it seems like some IVF clinics are a bit slow to remove tubes unless they can see fluid on the scan.

In the US they seem to remove all blocked/damaged tubes!

I hope after the surgery you have more success.

OP posts:

BewilderedBee · 02/03/2025 13:20

Thanks both, I'm hoping il have my surgery booked in soon so we can continue with ivf! I think I want both tubes removed just to be done with them and know they can't be impacting anymore! Only recently I've had fluid show up, so I don't know were my tubes impacting before or it just the fluid that is a concern!