Defining Tubal Pregnancy

A tubal pregnancy is also referred to as a tubular pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy, and it is an abnormal pregnancy. In a normal pregnancy, the fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube and attaches to the lining of the uterus where the cells get nutrients and have plenty of room to grow. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the egg does not reach the uterus and attaches itself to some other abdominal organ, which sometimes includes the cervix or an ovary. Most frequently, the ectopic pregnancy is tubal, so called because the egg adheres to the fallopian tube.

Viability of a Tubal Pregnancy

A tubal pregnancy cannot produce a baby. The fallopian tubes are not designed to house and feed a foetus.

Risks of Tubal Pregnancies
An ectopic pregnancy has the potential to be quite serious and poses a number of risks to the mother. If a fertilized egg that attaches itself to a fallopian tube continues to grow long enough, it may damage the tube, and in fact may even cause it to rupture. Such a rupture frequently causes severe pain and bleeding and surgery becomes necessary. Attempts to repair the damage to the tube may be made, but usually the fallopian tube needs to be surgically removed. Sometimes, the excessive bleeding can endanger the life of the mother. There are occasions when a tubal pregnancy resolves on its own, in which case you are unlikely to have even known the pregnancy was ectopic. In addition, having one tubal pregnancy increases the risk of having another one if you should conceive again.
Symptoms of Tubal Pregnancies

If you are pregnant, you should seek immediate medical attention for any of these signs that may indicate ectopic foetal development:
• Dizziness
• Light-headedness
• Abdominal cramping
• Abdominal pain
• Back pain
• Shoulder pain
• Spotting or vaginal bleeding

Treatments for Tubal Pregnancy

A tubal pregnancy is not viable; it cannot result in the birth of a child and poses serious risk to the mother; therefore, the tissue must be removed. There are two ways for this removal to happen: surgery or medication. If the diagnosis is made early enough, it may be possible to avoid surgery and stop the growth of the ectopic cells with one or more injections of methotrexate. If the methotrexate treatment is successful, the body will reabsorb the tissue. It may, however, be necessary to surgically remove the ectopic tissue, in which case the surgeon will determine if you are a candidate for laparoscopic surgery or whether you will need the more invasive Laparotomy. In either surgery, the doctor removes the tubal pregnancy cells and will either attempt to repair any damage to the fallopian tube or remove the tube.