Kathmandu, March 3

The cases of ectopic pregnancy are on the rise. Unsafe sex, use of emergency contraceptive pills and pelvic inflammatory diseases are some of the leading causes for ectopic pregnancy, according to doctors.

“Last year, some three patients visited hospital with ectopic pregnancy but this year, the hospital has recorded as many as ten such patients in a month. In a single day, we conducted three surgeries for ruptured ectopic pregnancy recently,” said Dr Manor Din Shaiyed, Consultant Gynaecologist at Manmohan Memorial Teaching Hospital, Swoyambhu.

When a woman conceives and the fertilised egg grows inside the uterus it is called pregnancy. However, there are chances for the fertilised egg to be attached to a place other than inside uterus. When the fertilised egg grows in other places than uterus, it is termed as ectopic pregnancy. “It can occur anywhere in abdomen, cervical area or the ovaries. But most ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tube. This is why they are called tubal pregnancies. More than 95 per cent of the ectopic pregnancies are tubal pregnancies,” said the doctor.

Ovum is released from the ovary and passes through fallopian tube then it comes to uterus and is fertilised — this is the normal physiology of pregnancy. “When there are problems in the mechanism, fertilisation takes place in the tube or other areas of uterus. The ovum might not come out from the fallopian tube which results in an ectopic pregnancy,” explained Dr Shaiyed.

When there is rupture of ectopic pregnancy, there is internal bleeding and it is a life threatening condition. “Patients are therefore advised to visit hospital if they face such problems during pregnancy,” said Dr Shaiyed.