Fallopian tube scan – HyFoSy

What is HyFoSy:

Hysterosalpingo Foam Sonography, more easily named HyFoSy, is a type of tubal patency test (fallopian tube scan) that is used to examine the structure of the uterus and fallopian tube (the tube connecting your ovary with the uterus), and the patency (whether the tube is blocked or not).

Conditions of doing a fallopian tube scan:

You cannot do the test if you are pregnant and will need to have a negative pregnancy test within 24 hours before the procedure happens. You also cannot do the test if you have problems like vaginal bleeding, inflammation, or infection.

Additionally, the test should be done after your period but before ovulation, which is days 6 to 11 of your menstrual cycle. In this phase, the egg is still developing and has not been released into the fallopian tube or uterus. You can inform your doctor when you start your period so that they can schedule your appointment.

Process:

You will lie on an examination table with your legs spread open. Your doctor will then insert a speculum into your vagina, which is a metal tool that spreads the vagina for easier access.

Afterward, a catheter (a thin plastic tube) is placed in the cervix and the speculum is removed. The ultrasound probe is then inserted into the vagina.

A special foam is pushed out of the catheter and into your uterus, eventually flowing into your fallopian tube. It will then leave the fallopian tube (or not if it there is a blockage) and into your abdominal cavity where it will just get harmlessly absorbed by your body.

When the procedure is done, the ultrasound probe and catheter are removed.

Benefits of HyFoSy compared to other fallopian tube scans:

HyFoSy has equal accuracy as other forms of tubal patency tests like HSG (Hysterosalpingogram), except, unlike HSG, it does not involve radiation exposure. HSG involves a similar process of filling the uterus with a liquid, except instead of an ultrasound to view the liquid, an x-ray is used. Although the radiation from x-ray is in extremely small doses and usually doesn’t cause harm, no radiation (HyFoSy) is better than a little radiation (HSG). This makes HyFoSy the recommended and more common procedure done in hospitals rather than HSG.

Why is having a fallopian tube scan important:

Fallopian tube scans can be used to investigate the cause of infertility since tubal factor infertility accounts for about 25-30% of all cases of infertility. Tubal factor infertility is when the fallopian tube is blocked, meaning the sperm and egg are prevented from reaching each other and fertilizing.

If the egg was able to be fertilized in a blocked fallopian tube, then the mother is at very high risk for an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy means that the fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus, and in this case, it implants in the fallopian tube. Unfortunately, an ectopic pregnancy is life-threatening to the mother and fatal to the fetus, which is why a blocked fallopian tube should be diagnosed and treated quickly before it happens.