Ectopic Pregnancy Issue

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MaryHelene

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Hi,

I know where the Church stands on the treatment of an ectopic pregnancy (that you can never directly terminate a pregnancy for any reason, ever.) I just… Don’t know that I agree with it. I know, I know - it’s not necessary for me to agree with it, only to continue to try to come to agree with it and accept it as true. But…

I have come to think about this since my friend, an OBGYN, said that the “Church approved” means of managing an ectopic pregnancy are not considered the best or first line of treatment for many cases. She said she would have an ethical dilemma with someone requesting a more invasive, more costly, riskier procedure with a longer recovery time and the likelihood of reduced fertility over her recommendation for another procedure or medication. In her words, “Why have surgery if you can use medication? I don’t want to cut out anyone’s fallopian tube or part of the tube if I don’t have to.”

I guess my own dilemma is that an ectopic pregnancy is 100%, without a doubt, doomed anyway and a serious, life-threatening emergency for the mother. I can’t really see myself wanting to endure a riskier, more invasive procedure over a less drastic one if the end result is the same - the loss of the baby (which would be devastating in and of itself.) At the end of the day, do I want to deal with the loss of the pregnancy, the terror of having an ectopic pregnancy, AND a surgical recovery if I don’t have to?

I also feel like the treatment for the ectopic pregnancy is often… removal of the ectopic pregnancy. In this case, the embryo IS the pathology - it’s in the wrong place. A place not compatible with life. Is it really more moral to let both mom and the embryo die than to remove the embryo from the tube?

Can anyone shed any light on this issue? I wish it were easier for me to be in lock step with The Church.
 
We may never do evil even if our intent is that good come from it.
 
MaryHelene said:
Hi,

I know where the Church stands on the treatment of an ectopic pregnancy (that you can never directly terminate a pregnancy for any reason, ever.) I just… Don’t know that I agree with it. I know, I know - it’s not necessary for me to agree with it, only to continue to try to come to agree with it and accept it as true. But…

I have come to think about this since my friend, an OBGYN, said that the “Church approved” means of managing an ectopic pregnancy are not considered the best or first line of treatment for many cases. She said she would have an ethical dilemma with someone requesting a more invasive, more costly, riskier procedure with a longer recovery time and the likelihood of reduced fertility over her recommendation for another procedure or medication. In her words, “Why have surgery if you can use medication? I don’t want to cut out anyone’s fallopian tube or part of the tube if I don’t have to.”

I guess my own dilemma is that an ectopic pregnancy is 100%, without a doubt, doomed anyway and a serious, life-threatening emergency for the mother. I can’t really see myself wanting to endure a riskier, more invasive procedure over a less drastic one if the end result is the same - the loss of the baby (which would be devastating in and of itself.) At the end of the day, do I want to deal with the loss of the pregnancy, the terror of having an ectopic pregnancy, AND a surgical recovery if I don’t have to?

I also feel like the treatment for the ectopic pregnancy is often… removal of the ectopic pregnancy. In this case, the embryo IS the pathology - it’s in the wrong place. A place not compatible with life. Is it really more moral to let both mom and the embryo die than to remove the embryo from the tube?

Can anyone shed any light on this issue? I wish it were easier for me to be in lock step with The Church.
Click to expand...
The moral thing in this case is to try and save the lives of both the embryo and the mother. As removing the growing embryo from the fallopian tube and attempt to implant the embryo into the uterus usually proves fatal for the embryo, however, that is not the desired outcome. The desired outcome of such a procedure is the saving of both lives, therefore, not immoral.
 
MaryHelene said:
Hi,

I know where the Church stands on the treatment of an ectopic pregnancy (that you can never directly terminate a pregnancy for any reason, ever.) I just… Don’t know that I agree with it. I know, I know - it’s not necessary for me to agree with it, only to continue to try to come to agree with it and accept it as true. But…

I have come to think about this since my friend, an OBGYN, said that the “Church approved” means of managing an ectopic pregnancy are not considered the best or first line of treatment for many cases. She said she would have an ethical dilemma with someone requesting a more invasive, more costly, riskier procedure with a longer recovery time and the likelihood of reduced fertility over her recommendation for another procedure or medication. In her words, “Why have surgery if you can use medication? I don’t want to cut out anyone’s fallopian tube or part of the tube if I don’t have to.”

I guess my own dilemma is that an ectopic pregnancy is 100%, without a doubt, doomed anyway and a serious, life-threatening emergency for the mother. I can’t really see myself wanting to endure a riskier, more invasive procedure over a less drastic one if the end result is the same - the loss of the baby (which would be devastating in and of itself.) At the end of the day, do I want to deal with the loss of the pregnancy, the terror of having an ectopic pregnancy, AND a surgical recovery if I don’t have to?

I also feel like the treatment for the ectopic pregnancy is often… removal of the ectopic pregnancy. In this case, the embryo IS the pathology - it’s in the wrong place. A place not compatible with life. Is it really more moral to let both mom and the embryo die than to remove the embryo from the tube?

Can anyone shed any light on this issue? I wish it were easier for me to be in lock step with The Church.
Click to expand...
The Church’s position; Methotrexate is prohibited because it’s an abortificant. Salpingostomy is not allowed. The reason being is that Methotrexate and Salingostomy is a primary attack on the fetus while the surgical removal of the fallopian tube (full salpingectomy) is primary surgery on the mother, with the death of the fetus being a secondary and inevitable consequence, and would be allowed.

No, it’s not moral to do nothing and allow both mother and baby to die – but the first two are a direct attack on the fetus.

cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=57
 
I am not an OB/GYN but I do work in a Blood Bank and ectopic pregnancies are never pretty since what seems to usually happen is that they explode and there is an emergency surgery making a busy blood bank. At this point, the baby is lost and the fight is to save the mother.
There doesn’t seem to be a way to save the baby. They always seem to happen very fast.
often the fallopian tube is gone as well. It’s very sad for the surviving women. It would be good to hear from an committed Catholic OB/GYN on this. Ectopics when found seem to go very quickly with little time. I am not certain if there is anyway to save the baby before. We should pray for any woman who has been through this.
Mary Mother of God please especially bless and bring healing to any women who has been through this terrible ordeal. Hold them in your arms as a Mother and bring them comfort and peace.
 
robwar said:
I am not an OB/GYN but I do work in a Blood Bank and ectopic pregnancies are never pretty since what seems to usually happen is that they explode and there is an emergency surgery making a busy blood bank. At this point, the baby is lost and the fight is to save the mother.
There doesn’t seem to be a way to save the baby. They always seem to happen very fast.
often the fallopian tube is gone as well. It’s very sad for the surviving women. It would be good to hear from an committed Catholic OB/GYN on this. Ectopics when found seem to go very quickly with little time. I am not certain if there is anyway to save the baby before. We should pray for any woman who has been through this.
Mary Mother of God please especially bless and bring healing to any women who has been through this terrible ordeal. Hold them in your arms as a Mother and bring them comfort and peace.
Click to expand...
That is the worst-case scenario - that the tube ruptures and both die. Ideally the ectopic pregnancy is diagnosed before this happens, and a plan is put into place to deal with it. The most common treatment options are methotrexate (a medication that makes the embryo stop growing and die), and laparoscopic removal of the embryo via a small incision in the fallopian tube. Neither of these are Church-approved ways to handle the problem. The Church mandates that any woman with an ectopic pregnancy have either her entire fallopian tube removed with the embryo inside, or the section of the fallopian tube with the embryo can be removed. Sometimes, if there is enough tube left, it can be reconnected in the hope of preservation of fertility.

It’s hard for me to wrap my brain around this one because the embryo dies without fail in every circumstance and we’re asking a terrified, grieving mother to undergo possibly unnecessary surgery.
 
MaryHelene said:
Hi,

I know where the Church stands on the treatment of an ectopic pregnancy (that you can never directly terminate a pregnancy for any reason, ever.) I just… Don’t know that I agree with it. I know, I know - it’s not necessary for me to agree with it, only to continue to try to come to agree with it and accept it as true. But…

I have come to think about this since my friend, an OBGYN, said that the “Church approved” means of managing an ectopic pregnancy are not considered the best or first line of treatment for many cases. She said she would have an ethical dilemma with someone requesting a more invasive, more costly, riskier procedure with a longer recovery time and the likelihood of reduced fertility over her recommendation for another procedure or medication. In her words, “Why have surgery if you can use medication? I don’t want to cut out anyone’s fallopian tube or part of the tube if I don’t have to.”

I guess my own dilemma is that an ectopic pregnancy is 100%, without a doubt, doomed anyway and a serious, life-threatening emergency for the mother. I can’t really see myself wanting to endure a riskier, more invasive procedure over a less drastic one if the end result is the same - the loss of the baby (which would be devastating in and of itself.) At the end of the day, do I want to deal with the loss of the pregnancy, the terror of having an ectopic pregnancy, AND a surgical recovery if I don’t have to?

I also feel like the treatment for the ectopic pregnancy is often… removal of the ectopic pregnancy. In this case, the embryo IS the pathology - it’s in the wrong place. A place not compatible with life. Is it really more moral to let both mom and the embryo die than to remove the embryo from the tube?

Can anyone shed any light on this issue? I wish it were easier for me to be in lock step with The Church.
Click to expand...
I see how you are having the difficulty with the issue. Since you say you understand the Church’s teaching on the issue there is no real need to talk about double effect, etc.

The issue you are stuggling with is not one of understanding. But maybe we could examine the idea that the Church’s teachings do not necessarily have to be the most ‘practical’ answer available. We have to ask ourselves, WHY, the mind of the Church sees a difference where we may not? In this case we might talk about the respect for human life. It is appropriate, and obligatory to still treat a growing embryo with the dignity, love, and respect that all human life deserves. The process the situation calls for at this point in time requires added physical suffering and increased effort on the part of the mother, sure, but it is suffering with greater spiritual realities in mind. Where we may see adding insult to injury; I think we should strive instead to see self sacrifice in the name of loving one another properly.

I am not saying this is easy to comprehend. But, we have to understand that pain and suffering for others, especially those we love, is never needless or devoid of meaning.
 
About 40% of diagnosed ectopic pregnancies are misdiagnosed and later found to be healthy according to a 2002 study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Did anyone hear about the women who was diagnosed as having an ectopic pregnancy, took the medication to abort, and then had her doctor double check, and the baby was actually in the uterus?
abcnews.go.com/Health/w_ParentingResource/baby-born-deformed-misdiagnosed-ectopic-pregnancy/story?id=15421441#.T1o18zEgdB0

She fortunately chose to keep her baby, but the baby of course had several birth defects due to the toxic abortafacient she received in the womb. The baby had no uterus, vagina, or rectum. She will never have children of her own.

Hearing this story actually reaffirmed the wisdom of the Church’s teachings to me. Think about it. If the Church’s teachings were followed in this case, the woman would have lost a tube but had a healthy baby (presuming there were no other health issues). And no, I’m not blaming the woman. Most likely she was told, oh you have to have a termination, as though there were no other option.
 
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