Objective: To determine the minimum intrauterine perfusion pressure that will produce spill from the fallopian tubes into the peritoneal cavity and to correlate this pressure with the extent of tubal adhesive disease.
Design: Hydrotubation was performed at laparoscopy and intrauterine perfusion pressure was measured. The extent of peritubal and fimbrial adhesions was graded at laparoscopy.
Setting: Ambulatory surgery suites.
Patients: Ten patients with infertility and/or pelvic pain were enrolled in the study. Data from nine patients were analyzed.
Interventions: Measurement of intrauterine perfusion pressures.
Main outcome measures: The minimum pressure that produced spill of dye from each fallopian tube and the correlation between extent of external tubal pathology and this threshold pressure.
Results: The median threshold pressure at which dye spilled from at least one fallopian tube was 100 mm Hg, and no spill occurred at pressures < 70 mm Hg. The threshold pressure was correlated negatively with the extent of tubal disease.
Conclusions: Fluid with the same viscosity as hydrotubation dye will not spill into the peritoneal cavity through normal fallopian tubes until the intrauterine perfusion pressure exceeds 70 mm Hg. The threshold pressure is higher when tubal adhesive disease that can be visualized by laparoscopy is present.