What is ectopic pregnancy? Under normal circumstances, the embryo is deposited in the uterine cavity. If the pregnancy occurs outside the uterine cavity, such as in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, or cervix, it is called an ectopic pregnancy, or ectopic pregnancy in medical terms. Ectopic pregnancy is very common, accounting for 3-5% of pregnancies. It is dangerous and can be life-threatening if symptoms are not detected and treated early. Why do we get ectopic pregnancies? 95% of ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes, mainly due to problems with the tubes’ diameter or peristalsis, either within the tubes themselves or due to external factors. Ectopic pregnancy occurs when the normal travel of the pregnancy egg to the uterus is delayed or prevented for various reasons, so that the pregnancy egg is blocked in the fallopian tube. Can ectopic pregnancy be prevented? Unfortunately, ectopic pregnancy cannot be prevented at this time. Since people who have already had an ectopic pregnancy have a high chance of having another ectopic pregnancy, some fertility doctors advocate tying or removing the fallopian tubes prior to IVF, but this is not easy for some patients to accept psychologically. How is ectopic pregnancy diagnosed? There is no particular non-invasive method of diagnosing ectopic pregnancy that is 100% accurate. For women of childbearing age with normal sex life, 6-10 weeks of menopause, positive urine pregnancy test, abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding and other symptoms should be highly suspected of ectopic pregnancy; such as through the use of vaginal ultrasound, the uterine cavity did not see the embryonic sac, most of the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy can be confirmed; for some complicated cases also need to resort to laparoscopy to finalize the diagnosis. Treatment of ectopic pregnancyThere are various options for the treatment of ectopic pregnancy, depending on the requirements for fertility, the size and location of the ectopic pregnancy and the physical condition of the patient, and for the infertile patients, fertility is preserved to the maximum extent possible under the premise of saving the patient’s life. Treatment options for ectopic pregnancy include: 1) laparoscopic surgery; 2) drug therapy; and 3) open surgery.