When is IVF recommended for hydrosalpinx?

A hydrosalpinx is a fallopian tube that has become blocked and filled with fluid. The fluid can interfere with the meeting of egg and sperm and may affect the environment around an embryo. IVF places fertilisation outside the fallopian tubes, but a fertility team may still assess whether the affected tube should be treated, closed, or removed before embryo transfer.

An assessment usually considers the tube findings, ovarian reserve, ovulation, sperm factors, age, previous pregnancies, and any earlier fertility treatment. Ask whether the hydrosalpinx needs treatment before IVF, whether both tubes are affected, and how the plan changes if surgery is advised. Read more about [IVF](/treatments/fertility-and-assisted-reproduction/ivf/) as a treatment pathway.

Arrange a fertility consultation if hydrosalpinx has been seen on imaging, you have been trying to conceive without success, or a previous ectopic pregnancy or pelvic infection may have affected the tubes. Seek urgent medical care for severe one-sided pelvic pain, fainting, or heavy bleeding.

Could the hydrosalpinx affect embryo transfer? Do you recommend treating the tube before IVF? What tests will assess the other tube and my ovarian reserve? Which fertility options fit our circumstances?