Air apparent: Using bubbles to reveal fertility problems
Tuesday, June 24, 2014 - 10:01
in Health & Medicine
Doctors in California are the first fertility specialists in the county to use a new ultrasound technique to assess fallopian tubes by employing a mixture of saline and air bubbles that is less painful, avoids X-ray exposure and is more convenient to patients during an already vulnerable time. Using the technique, the physician delivers the mixture of saline and air bubbles into the uterus through a small catheter, which then flows into the fallopian tubes. Under ultrasound, the air bubbles are highly visible as they travel through the tubes, allowing the physician to determine if a blockage exists.