HSG tests are diagnostic, and your insurance company may cover them even if they don’t cover fertility treatments.
Will insurance cover an HSG?
It is possible, however it is contingent on your policy. Fertility diagnostics and treatment are covered by many insurance plans, however coverage varies.
If you have any questions regarding your coverage, contact your insurance company to find out what they will cover.
What is the cost of an HSG test without insurance? You should anticipate to pay between $500 and $3,000 for this service. The actual amount varies depending on your doctor and where you reside.
How much is Hysterosalpingogram cost?
In 25 percent to 35 percent of people with ovaries, blocked fallopian tubes are the cause of infertility. A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) may be one of the first techniques a reproductive endocrinologist (REI) would employ to better understand the reason of infertility in persons with ovaries if you’re having trouble conceiving. Doctors can use this quick five-minute X-ray to see if the fallopian tubes are blocked.
We’ll go through all you need to know below, but first, here are some crucial takeaways:
- An HSG test looks at the morphology of the uterus and fallopian tubes to see if there are any abnormalities or tubal obstructions. It could cost you anything from a few hundred dollars to over $1,000 if your insurance doesn’t cover the test.
- Untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs), endometriosis, past pelvic or abdominal surgery, or even a ruptured appendix can block fallopian tubes.
- A second HSG test may be recommended to confirm the results if the HSG test reveals that your fallopian tubes are blocked or the results aren’t clear enough. If both tests demonstrate that your reproductive system is blocked, you have two options: further investigation or assisted reproductive technology (ART).
- An HSG has been shown in several trials to boost fertility after the operation.
Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about HSG testing, from how it works to how to prepare for the exam.
Is HSG considered infertility treatment?
Your doctor can check the internal walls of your uterus and fallopian tubes with a hysterosalpingogram, or HSG test. This small treatment is used to determine the shape and contour of the endometrial cavity (uterus) or to document endometrial polyps, leiomyomata (fibroids), or scarring. The surgery will also identify whether the fallopian tubes are patent or not (open).
A blocked fallopian tube or a tumor in your uterus can make it difficult to conceive. Sperm can’t reach the egg if your fallopian tubes are blocked. A hysterosalpingogram, or HSG test, uses x-rays and a special dye to look for scar tissue, polyps, fibroids, and other growths that could be blocking your tubes or preventing a fertilized egg from correctly implanting in your uterus.
A sonohysterogram is a test that utilizes ultrasonography and a specific solution to look for abnormalities inside the uterus. The sonohysterogram, on the other hand, cannot be utilized to detect blocked fallopian tubes. An HSG is a test that is commonly used as part of an infertility evaluation.
Is an HSG test worth it?
HSG, to give it its full name, is a high-strength “One of the first tests your doctor will likely request for you is a “hysterosalpingogram.” I constantly caution my patients about this “You should avoid “googling” the exam because reading about other people’s experiences can make you feel frightened. It’s fine to continue reading if you found this through your search. In general, patients who had problems with the test feel compelled to post online, but women who had no problems do not feel compelled to contact anyone.
The uterine cavity and fallopian tubes are evaluated with an HSG, which is an X-ray dye test. It can tell you if your fallopian tubes are open and if you have fibroids or polyps in your uterine cavity, which could prevent an embryo from implanting. It can also detect an irregularly shaped uterus, which may raise the risk of miscarriage.
The Good News!!!
According to studies, couples with unexplained infertility should expect a 30 percent rise in conception chances in the first three months following an HSG. It’s thought that the dye washes out detritus (also known as “tubal goo”), and that if that was all that was keeping you from getting pregnant, you’d be pregnant in three months. It’s not that the “flushing out” wears out after three months; it’s only that if the “tubal gunk” was the only thing holding you from getting pregnant, you’ll be able to conceive in that time. The fact that an HSG can be therapeutic as well as diagnostic is very remarkable. Hurray!!
The Not As Good News
It is possible that the exam will be painful. Our standard procedure is to provide pain medicine to patients. I would advise you to take it because it is difficult to predict who will require pain medicine ahead of time. You may feel crampy for the rest of the day, although the most intense discomfort only lasts approximately one minute or less throughout the treatment.
Obtain a copy of your films at the time of the examination so that your doctor can examine them. Typically, the ordering physician receives merely a report from the radiology facility, and a picture can be worth a thousand words in some cases.
Can HSG unblock fallopian tubes?
One possibility is that the dye clears small blockages in the fallopian tubes in certain women. (However, HSG is unable to heal or open significant obstructions.) The HSG test will indicate unobstructed fallopian tubes if this is the case. On the x-ray, however, some contrast may appear to stop and then resume.
Does HSG increase fertility?
According to a recent study, cleaning the fallopian tubes of women who are having reproductive problems can improve their chances of getting pregnant.
The research looked at a test for infertility called hysterosalpingography (HSG), which evaluates if a woman’s fallopian tubes are blocked. It was conducted in the Netherlands. The HSG surgery involves flushing liquid down the fallopian tubes while taking many x-rays to see if and where the tubes are blocked. Some women have conceived naturally after this operation, according to previous studies, and it is assumed that the flushing removes material from the fallopian tubes, improving their ability to carry the embryo for implantation in the uterus.
More than 1000 women under the age of 39 with unexplained infertility who had been attempting to conceive for at least a year were randomly assigned to have HSG with either an oil-based or a water-based liquid in the current study.
Researchers discovered that women in the oil-based group were more likely to have conceived than those in the water-based group six months later. After the operation, 38 percent of women who had HSG with oil-based contrast had a live birth, compared to 28 percent of women who had HSG with water-based contrast.
The study indicates that the HSG treatment can help women with unexplained infertility conceive, and it also shows that using an oil-based contrast increases the chances of conception.
Speak to a fertility professional if you have any queries or would want to learn more about tubal flushing.
When is the best time to do HSG test?
HSG is performed in a hospital, clinic, or your ob-office. gyn’s HSG should be performed in the early half of the menstrual cycle (days 1 to 14). You have a lower likelihood of being pregnant if you do it at this time.
A contrast agent is injected into the uterus and fallopian tubes during HSG. This is a dye-containing fluid. On an X-ray screen, the dye contrasts with the body structures. The dye outlines the uterus and fallopian tubes’ interior size and form. It’s also possible to examine how the dye passes through the body’s various structures.
As with a pelvic exam, you lie on your back with your feet propped up. A speculum is placed into the vaginal opening. It separates the vaginal walls, allowing the cervix to be seen. The cervix is disinfected.
Local anesthetic may be injected into the cervix’s end (pain relief). As this is done, you may feel a tiny squeeze or tug.
The dye can be inserted using one of two approaches. The cervix is grabbed with a device to keep it stable in one way. The cervix is then implanted using a device called a cannula. A thin plastic tube is inserted into the cervical hole in the other procedure. A little balloon is inflated at the end of the tube. The tube is kept in place in the uterus by the balloon.
You’re taken out of the speculum and placed in front of an X-ray machine.
The fluid is injected into the uterus and fallopian tubes using a cannula or tube. Cramping may occur as a result of the fluid. The fluid will expand the tubes if they become plugged.
As the fluid fills the uterus and tubes, X-ray images are acquired. It’s possible that you’ll be requested to switch positions. If there is no blockage, the fluid will gently stream out of the tubes’ far ends. The fluid is absorbed by the body once it flows out.
Which is better HSG or laparoscopy?
Approximately 5% of couples are permanently infertile, with a near-zero probability of falling pregnant spontaneously in the future (1). Fertility varies by region and is predicted to affect 8 to 12 percent of all couples globally (2). Primary and secondary infertility are two types of infertility. Primary infertility is defined as the failure to conceive within a year of being exposed to pregnancy in sexually active and non-contraceptive women aged 15 to 49. The inability to conceive after a previous pregnancy is referred to as secondary infertility (3). Infertility and its treatment put a burden on many couples’ interpersonal connections, as well as disrupt their interactions with others (4). One of the most common reasons of infertility in women is tube obstruction. Anatomical anomalies of the female reproductive tract, such as tubal obstruction, account for one-third of infertility cases (5, 6). The degree of tubal disease dictates whether or not fertility is possible. The fallopian tube must be evaluated in order to identify an infertility treatment plan. In clinical practice, a variety of diagnostic techniques are performed to measure tubal patency as part of the subfertility work-up (7).
Hysterosalpingography (HSG) and laparoscopy are the most usual tests. The HSG is a fluoroscopic and flat plate technique that uses contrast to examine the endometrial cavity and fallopian tubes. It has been used as a first-line strategy for diagnosing tubal disease in the workup of infertile couples as a minimally invasive method of testing tubal patency. While laparoscopy is the clinical gold standard for detecting tubal disease (8). The existence of endometriosis and peri-adnexal adhesions can be seen with laparoscopy, which cannot be done with HSG (9).