An Ectopic pregnancy can’t survive because the fallopian tube is not as flexible as the uterus, which is the best place to house the fetus or fertilized egg. The fallopian tube would burst as the fertilized egg grows leading to life-threatening bleeding.

Symptoms of Ectopic pregnancy in the first few weeks of the pregnancy may not be noticed by some persons unless through a medical test.

Symptoms of Ectopic pregnancy mostly surface from the 4th week of pregnancy, Such early  symptoms are as follows:

• Breast tenderness
• Nausea
• Pain in the lower abdomen or pelvic
• Light vaginal bleeding; Most times when this occurs it’s a surprise to some women who had tested positive for pregnancy as they mistake it for the normal period, This bleeding is a bit different in color (dark brown)  from the normal regular period and its mostly watery, It often starts and stops. Its recommended that you should visit your doctor to ascertain the cause of the blooding as it could also occur in normal pregnancy.

Once every necessary test has been carried out and An Ectopic pregnancy has been confirmed a treatment plan we are drafted and commenced immediately. However, if the bleeding and symptoms are severe the doctor may proceed immediately with the treatment without going through these test steps to remedy the life-threatening situation.

There are two ways of treating an Ectopic pregnancy and either of the method to use depends on the level of pregnancy. the method is as follows

      1. Medication: The doctor would have to decide to treat with medication if the fallopian tube has not ruptured or is at risk of being ruptured. One common medication used is methotrexate (rheumatrex or trexall). This drug is meant to stop the growth of rapidly dividing cells, that is to stop the fertilized egg from amassing and the body will absorb them. Some symptoms may occur with this medication such as;

• Cramps in the lower abdomen.
• Bleeding and passing out of tissue from the vagina.

There is always a regular blood test to check the effectiveness of the medication administered. It will take several months after this medication to get pregnant again. However, this medication is less invasive than surgery.

      2. Surgery: In some cases, if the pregnancy has gone far, surgery will be required to correct the abnormally.      Laparoscopy could be carried out, this surgery is done to remove the embryo from the fallopian tube with the help of a tube called a laparoscope. in a situation whereby the fallopian tube has been ruptured a larger cut would be needed to remove the fallopian tube and this surgery is called Laparotomy.

         After the surgery the are some requirements to help the incision heal fast such as;

• Avoid lifting heavy objects above 5kg
• Drink much water to avoid constipation
• pelvic rest. e.g avoid sex

Notify your healthcare provider of any changes that may occur during the recovery process such as;

• Bleeding
• Foul smell from the incision
• Redness and swelling of  the area of the C-section

Prevention

There is no expressway to preventing Ectopic pregnancy, Rather there is some way the risk can be reduced such are:

• Stop smoking
• A limited number of the sexual partner, use condoms to avoid STDs which can lead to inflammation and cause harm to the fallopian tube
• Maintain regular gynecological examination
• Maintain a healthy weight and diet

Long term outlook

The long-term outlook after an ectopic pregnancy depends on whether it caused any physical damage. people who had ectopic pregnancies go on to have a healthy and successful pregnancies. If both fallopian tubes are still intact or that one has been removed, the eggs can still be fertilized. But bear in mind that a previous case of Ectopic pregnancy stands a risk of reoccurrence as the fallopian tube may be scared during surgery. In some cases of removal of both fallopian tubes, pregnancy can still be achieved through in-vitro fertilization which involves implanting a fertilized egg into the uterus. Also, it’s advised to stay more than £months after Ectopic pregnancy.

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