ECTOPIC (EXTRAUTERINE) PREGNANCY Ectopic pregnancy also called extrauterine pregnancy is when a fertilized egg grows outside a woman's uterus somewhere else in their belly. It can cause life treating and needs medical care right away. In more than 90% of cases, the egg implants in a fallopian tube this is called a tubal pregnancy. ECTOPIC PREGNANCY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Most of the time, an ectopic pregnancy happens within the first few weeks of pregnancy. The woman might not even know that she is pregnant and may not notice any problems Early sign of a topic pregnancy include: * Light vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain *Sharp abdominal cramps *Pain on one side of the body *Dizziness or weakness * Pain in the shoulder, neck or rectum * Upset stomach and vomiting ECTOPIC PREGNANCY CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS The woman may never know why she has an ectopic pregnancy. One cause could be a damaged fallopian tube. It could keep the fertilized egg from getting into her uterus. A woman is more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy if she: * Has pelvic inflammatory disease(PID) *Smoke cigarettes *is older than 35 *Has a sexually transmitted infection * Has scarring from pelvic surgery * Had a previous ectopic pregnancy * Tried to have tubal ligation reversal * Use fertility drugs * Had fertility treatment such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). it could also happen if she becomes pregnant while she become pregnant while she have an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control. ECTOPIC PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS The doctor will probably do tests that include a pregnancy test and pelvic exam they might give the woman an ultrasound to look at her uterus and fallopian tube. ECOPIC PREGNANCY TREATMEN Because a fertilized egg can't survive outside a uterus the doctor will need to take it out so she doesn't have serious health problems. The doctor will use one of two method: Medication or Surgery. Medication: if the fallopian tube hasn't ruptured and the pregnancy isn't far along the doctor can give her a short of methotrexale ( Trexall). It stops the cells from growing, the body will absorb them. SURGERY: The most common surgery used if the woman needs to have a surgery is laparoscopy. The doctor will make very small cut in the woman's lower belly and insert a thin, flexible tube called a laparoscope to remove the ectopic pregnancy. If the fallopian tube is damaged, the doctor may have to remove it as well if she is bleeding a lot or the doctor suspects that her fallopian tube is ruptured, she might need emergency surgery with a larger cut. This is called laparotomy. AFTER ECTOPIC PREGNANCY It might be hard for the woman to have a typical pregnancy afterwards.she should consider talking to a fertility specialist, especially if she had a fallopian tube removed and talk to her doctor about how long to wait before trying again. Some experts suggest giving herself at least 3 months, so her body has time to heal. If she get pregnant again, since one ectopic pregnancy raises her risk of having another one, she should be mindful of changes in her body until her doctor can confirm that it's growing where it should. Get link Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Other Apps June 10, 2023 Read more