My sister found out she had an ectopic pregnancy, but the doctor just wrote her a prescription and told her to come back for a blood test in a few days. I thought tubal pregnancies were always life-threatening medical emergencies. Why didn't she need ectopic pregnancy surgery?
It is nice that you are concerned and aware of the potential risk posed by ectopic pregnancies. But in all likelihood, the doctor has examined your sister and determined that the ectopic pregnancy does not pose an immediate danger to her health and thus is opting to try nonsurgical management first.
Many people are unaware that ectopic (tubal) pregnancies are not always dire medical emergencies. Although they can be life-threatening in the event of a tubal rupture, many ectopic pregnancies are detected long before tubal rupture becomes a threat. Some of these ectopic pregnancies end on their own, and others can be treated medically with a drug called methotrexate that inhibits the growth of the pregnancy cells and terminates the pregnancy without surgery. Doctors may be willing to try methotrexate, in conjunction with close hCG monitoring, in women who do not appear to have free fluid outside the pelvic area and who have stable blood test results, leaving surgery as an option if the methotrexate treatment would fail.
So rest assured that your sister will probably be fine. Medical treatment appears to work in over 90% of women who are candidates for medical treatment of ectopic pregnancy, and as long as your sister's doctor is keeping an eye on her, she is unlikely to be in danger from the tubal pregnancy.
Source:
Methotrexate in the Treatment of Ectopic Pregnancy. American Family Physician. Accessed: May 24, 2009. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000401/tips/15.html
