Possible hydrosalpinx, have been recommended to have HSG, anyone have any experience of either?

[RudolfThePinkNosedReindeer]

I had a MC at 8 and a bit weeks in June, and have had no luck ttc since. I've gone to a private clinic and have just had a mid-cycle scan and the radiologist could see some fluid near one of my tubes. He said it might just be a blood vessel but could also be hydrosalpinx, especially as I had an emergency operation to remove my appendix a few years ago. He's recommended I have an HSG to get more info. Can anyone tell me about the risks of an HSG? Im worried about having an invasive procedure. Also, does anyone know what the issue with hydrosalpinx is? Does it just mean that one of my tubes is blocked, or can it be a contributing factor in miscarriage? Many thanks for your help!

Rudolf I can't offer you much advice except on the matter of an HSg. I had this procedure in March and it was very straightforward, not aware of any risks associated with it. It is very uncomfortable but only for around 30 seconds. Take painkillers beforehand or gas and air if they offer if (some places do). It showed my left tube is blocked which actually made me feel better, as there was a reason why is was taking me longer ttc. Good luck

Rudolf, I forgot to say I'm very sorry to hear about your mc. It's shit isn't it. Keep at it and you will get there x

I don't know if this helps, but I had a Hycosy (slightly different from HSG, but same procedure basically, I think, but done privately).

If it's any use, the insertion of the tube and the fluid caused me no pain whatsoever, without pain-killers, and I had no pain afterwards either.

I am hoping to get an HSG done as I've been pregnant since the hycosy and NHS doctors are saying I 'probably don't have a blocked tube' despite the fact that the hycosy showed no movement through right tube. (I guess NHS doctors have x ray specs, huh?)

Hi Ali and Hairy, thanks v. much for your reassuring advice.

Hehe Hairy those xray specs are amazing aren't they?? "just try again, it'll be fine" - er, really? Based on what?? Oh BTW, SIL tells me that a hycosy is basically the same as an HSG but uses ultrasound instead of xray. I might ask consultant about that - it sounds a bit less scary (although I've heard that a longhaul flight gives you the same dose of radiation as two x-rays so maybe I should just get over my worries on that front...)

i had the same thing, turned out it wasn't a hydrosalpinx and everything was fine. I don't know if it can be a factor in miscarriage, i just know it can prohibit pregnancy.
the hsg didn't hurt at all and my consultant (who i'd been seeing for ivf) was convinced that the clear out of my tubes helped me with a natural conception three months later (now my 2.5 year old son).
apparently you are more fertile in the months immediately after hsg, so good luck!

Hi Pink,

sorry you are going through all this, must be very worrying.

The only HSG I had was while under general anasthetic but I am debating getting another one to see if my Ashermans is completely gone. I did lots of googling/asking around and heard that lots of women are given antibiotics starting before the procedure and for a few days after to eliminate the risk of developing an interuterine infection. Not all doctors seem to do this routinely, so you might want to ask about this well before the day of the procedure.

The only other risk of having an HSG I know about is the risk of developing Incompetent Cervix during a subsequent pregnancy, but this is really related to the number of invasive procedures that open your cervix you have had, not what type. If you are going to google it, be warned its scary!

If I were you I would want to have the HSG to find out a bit more about whats going on. If everything is clear you will have great piece of mind (and the extra "fertility boost" that the flush through gives you) or if there IS something there you can address it sooner rather than later.

The difference between the Hycosy and HSG (apart from ultrasound vs xray) is that saline solution is used instead of contrast dye. Contrast dye sticks to certain strange tissue types (tumours, scar tissue etc) so as well as being able to visualise the uterine cavity in 3D form (as both procedures do) you can also see the size and shape of any strange lumps and bumps that may be in there. Whether they show up with saline/ultrasound depends a lot on the skill of the sonographer and how good they are at recognising anomalies. There is lots of debate about which is better for diagnosing certain things. The sHG (similar to Hycosy, with saline and ultrasound) is considered better for Ashermans for example.

I will keep my fingers tightly crossed for you. Big hugs xxx