A salpingectomy is the surgical removal of one or both fallopian tubes. It’s performed to treat ectopic pregnancies, as a form of permanent contraception, or to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. The procedure is one of the most common gynecologic surgeries, and when done laparoscopically, it typically requires only a few small incisions and a relatively short recovery.
Unilateral vs. Bilateral Salpingectomy
When only one fallopian tube is removed, it’s called a unilateral salpingectomy. This is often the approach for an ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilized egg implants in the tube instead of the uterus) or when one tube is damaged or diseased. Removing just one tube preserves the possibility of conceiving naturally through the remaining tube.
A bilateral salpingectomy removes both fallopian tubes. This is chosen for permanent contraception or cancer risk reduction. A salpingectomy can also be partial, meaning only a segment of the tube is removed, or total, meaning the entire tube from the uterus to the ovary is taken out. Total removal is increasingly preferred because it eliminates more tissue where cancer can originate.
Why It’s Done
The most common reasons for a salpingectomy include:
- Ectopic pregnancy: A pregnancy growing inside the fallopian tube can rupture the tube and cause life-threatening bleeding. Removing the affected tube is often the safest treatment.
- Permanent contraception: Bilateral salpingectomy has largely replaced traditional tubal ligation (getting your “tubes tied”) as the preferred sterilization method. The 10-year failure rate across salpingectomy techniques is just 0.0185%, making it one of the most reliable forms of contraception available.
- Ovarian cancer prevention: Research now shows that many ovarian cancers actually begin in the fallopian tubes. Removing them can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by roughly 80%, according to a systematic review of 158 studies published in JAMA Surgery.
- Damaged or blocked tubes: Conditions like hydrosalpinx (a tube filled with fluid) can cause pain, infection, or interfere with fertility treatments. Removing the affected tube can improve outcomes for IVF.
Opportunistic Salpingectomy During Other Surgeries
If you’re already scheduled for a hysterectomy or another pelvic surgery, your surgeon may recommend removing the fallopian tubes at the same time. This is called an opportunistic salpingectomy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports this approach, noting that adding tube removal to an existing abdominal procedure takes only minutes and does not increase the risk of blood transfusions, infections, readmissions, or other complications compared to the primary surgery alone.
The logic is straightforward: if the fallopian tubes are accessible during surgery and no longer needed for fertility, removing them eliminates a potential site where cancer could develop. If this approach were widely adopted in the U.S., an estimated 5,394 cases of ovarian cancer could be prevented each year, representing a 39% reduction in the disease’s overall incidence.
How the Surgery Works
Most salpingectomies are performed laparoscopically, meaning the surgeon works through three small incisions: one near the navel and two in the lower abdomen. A thin camera is inserted through one incision, and surgical instruments through the others. The surgeon locates each fallopian tube, examines it along its full length, then uses forceps and a sealing device to detach it from the ovary and uterus while closing off small blood vessels along the way.
An open approach, using a single longer incision across the abdomen, is sometimes necessary depending on the complexity of the case or whether other procedures are being done at the same time. Laparoscopic surgery is preferred when possible because it involves less tissue disruption, less pain, and faster healing.
Recovery Timeline
Recovery from a laparoscopic salpingectomy is considerably faster than from open surgery. Most people go home the same day. You can expect some abdominal soreness, bloating, and fatigue for the first few days. Shoulder pain from the gas used to inflate the abdomen during laparoscopy is common but temporary.
For a standalone laparoscopic procedure, most surgeons recommend about one to two weeks before returning to sedentary work, with physically demanding jobs requiring longer. Lifting restrictions typically last several weeks, generally keeping you under 10 to 15 pounds during early recovery. Driving is usually restricted for about two weeks. If the salpingectomy was performed alongside a hysterectomy or other major procedure, the recovery timeline follows the larger surgery, often four to six weeks for desk work and up to 10 to 12 weeks for heavy physical labor.
Risks and Complications
Salpingectomy is a low-risk surgery. A large population-based study of over 7,100 bilateral salpingectomies found an overall complication rate of just 2.8%. Complications occurred at similar rates whether the surgery was done for contraception (2.7%) or cancer prevention (4.5%), with no statistically significant difference between the two. Complication rates were also consistent across age groups.
The most common risks include minor bleeding, infection at the incision sites, or temporary pain requiring anti-inflammatory medication. Serious complications like injury to nearby organs or significant blood loss are rare.
Effect on Hormones and Menopause
Removing the fallopian tubes does not trigger menopause or affect your hormone levels. Your ovaries, which produce estrogen and progesterone, remain intact after a salpingectomy. A study tracking ovarian function before surgery and at three and nine months afterward found no significant changes in hormone levels or egg reserve between women who had their tubes removed and those who did not. You’ll continue to ovulate and have periods as usual.
That said, a small number of studies have raised questions about whether salpingectomy could subtly affect blood flow to the ovaries over the long term. The current weight of evidence, however, shows no measurable impact on ovarian function or the timing of menopause.
Fertility After Salpingectomy
If you’ve had one tube removed, natural pregnancy is still possible. The remaining fallopian tube can pick up eggs released from either ovary. Among women who had a salpingectomy for ectopic pregnancy, about 84% went on to achieve a new pregnancy, with a median time to conception of five months. Of those pregnancies, roughly 83% resulted in full-term deliveries.
If both tubes have been removed, natural conception is no longer possible because the egg has no pathway from the ovary to the uterus. However, IVF bypasses the fallopian tubes entirely, so bilateral salpingectomy does not reduce your chances of success with assisted reproduction. In fact, removing damaged or fluid-filled tubes before IVF can improve implantation rates by preventing toxic fluid from leaking into the uterus.