Ectopic Pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy is a less common but more serious complication where the pregnancy embeds outside the uterus. The fallopian tube is the commonest site of ectopic pregnancy. The fallopian tube is a thin walled structure and cannot keep up with the growth of the pregnancy. If not detected early, the tube may rupture with significant internal bleeding. This is an emergency condition requiring surgical management in hospital. If detected early, treatment can be by medical or surgical methods. The baby cannot survive and grow in a tubal ectopic pregnancy, and is invariably lost.
The common presenting feature in ectopic pregnancy is lower abdominal pain at around 6 -7 weeks of pregnancy with some bleeding.
MANAGEMENT
When the ectopic pregnancy is very early and small in size, it can be treated medically without surgery. Beyond a certain size of the tubal pregnancy, surgical management is the better option which is usually performed by key hole surgery. The affected tube is best removed, a procedure called salpingectomy. Salpingectomy reduces the risks of a further ectopic pregnancy with an overall improvement in future pregnancy outcome.
