An Ecotopic pregnancy develops when the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. It is also known as cervical or abdominal pregnancy. Fallopian tube is the most common site. It rarely occurs in the abdomen, in the overy or uterus. It can be very dangerous as the large artery runs on the outside on fallopian tube. When the artery ruptures, it bleeds severely. It can be diagnosed in the first or second month of pregnancy.

Symptoms of Ectopic Pregnancy

Lower abdominal or pelvic pain.
Mild cramping on one side of the pelvis.
Amenorrhea (cessation of regular menstrual cycle).
Abnormal vaginal bleeding - usually scant amounts, spotting.
Breast tenderness, nausea.
Late or missed period (although a woman can start experiencing the symptoms of the ectopic before she misses a period).
Vaginal bleeding.
Tissue passage from the vagina.
Pregnancy symptoms.

More Symptoms of Ectopic Pregnancy:

Dizziness and fainting (because of the loss of blood).
Shoulder pain.
Weakness.
Heart racing.
Bloated and hard abdomen .

Diagnosis of Ectopic Pregnancy

A blood test to check your level of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
A vaginal exam - If the vaginal area is very tender or your caregiver detects a mass or an enlarged fallopian tube, an ectopic is likely the cause.
Radiologist can make the diagnose by the ultrasound examination.

Treatment of Ectopic Pregnancy

Once an ectopic is diagnosed, there are several different treatments. It is not possible to take the pregnancy from the tube and put it into the womb. The options are as follows:

Expectant management - A proportion of all ectopics will not progress to tubal rupture, but will regress spontaneously and be slowly absorbed. This may be appropriate if the level of hCG is falling and a woman is clincally well.

Medical treatment - With a drug called methotrexate, which is given by injection. This makes the ectopic pregnancy shrink away by stopping the cells dividing. Only a few ectopics can be treated this way, which is the least invasive. Certain criteria must be fulfilled, such as small diameter of the ectopic and low level of hCG. Close follow-up with further scans and blood tests is also necessary.

Laparoscopic surgery - Via 'keyhole' surgery, it may be possible to either open the tube and remove the pregnancy (salpingotomy), or remove the tube altogether (salpingectomy). The decision on which of these options is taken is very specific to each patient. Follow-up with blood tests for hCG will more than likely be needed as persistant ectopic tissue can occur in 5% to 10% of patients.

Open surgery (laparotomy) - This involves a 5cm incision at the top of the pubic hairline. The affected tube is brought out and either salpingotomy or salpingectomy performed.

Prevention Tips of Ectopic Pregnancy

The best ways to prevent Ectopic Pregnancy is :

Take an antibiotics prescribed by the doctor.
Avoid sexual contact.
You should wear latest condoms during sexual activities.
Avoid risk factors such as sexually transmitted disease and multiple partners.

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