Ectopic Pregnancy - All You Must Know About It!

In ordinary pregnancy, the egg released from the ovary becomes fertilized when it meets the sperm and travels through the fallopian tubes to the uterus where it grows in the following nine months. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg never makes it to the uterus instead it stays in one of the fallopian tubes; this is also known as tubal pregnancy. In very rare cases, the egg also attaches itself to one of the two ovaries making your pregnancy difficult and putting your health in danger.

Treatments: Ectopic pregnancy is usually ended if it is detected at an early stage to prevent rupture and extreme blood loss. There are both medications and surgical options depending upon the stage of detection.

Medication: Methotrexate is a potent drug used to end ectopic pregnancy but it has several side effects like vomiting, stomachache, drowsiness and nausea. It requires several hormone and blood tests to determine its effects on the pregnancy. This medication will work only when your hormone levels during your pregnancy are low and the embryo does not have any heart activity.

Surgery: Surgical treatment of ectopic pregnancy is needed when the symptoms have become more rampant like increased hCG levels and excessive bleeding. At this stage, any kind of medication won't work and the possibility of a rupture becomes more prominent as time progresses. In such cases, Laparoscopic surgery is done, which requires a small incision and is safe and effective. If the patient happens to experience rupture, immediate emergency surgery is required.

Ectopic pregnancy tends to take care of itself by miscarriage, which is called expectant management. Medication is the first choice of treatment, it is usually very effective and surgery is used to treat severe cases when one becomes unresponsive to medications.