Understanding a Uterine Septum

For many people struggling to become pregnant or experiencing repeated miscarriages, the question is always the same:

“Why is this happening?”

Sometimes, the answer isn’t a hormone imbalance or a problem with egg quality. Instead, it may be something a woman has had since birth—and never knew existed.

A uterine septum is one example. Although many women with a uterine septum have healthy pregnancies, for others it can contribute to infertility, recurrent miscarriage, or pregnancy complications. The encouraging news is that once it’s identified, it can often be treated with a minimally invasive procedure that significantly improves the chances of a healthy pregnancy.

In the video below, one of our patients, Dianne Gallagher, shares her personal story of discovering she had a uterine septum and how treatment helped her build the family she had always hoped for. Dianne’s journey is a powerful reminder that sometimes finding the right diagnosis is the first step toward finding hope.

What Is a Uterine Septum?

A uterine septum is a congenital condition, meaning it develops before birth. Instead of having one open uterine cavity, a band of tissue divides all or part of the uterus into two sections.

Many women never realize they have a uterine septum until they begin trying to conceive or experience recurrent miscarriages. In many cases, there are no symptoms at all, making it difficult to detect without a fertility evaluation.

How Can a Uterine Septum Affect Fertility?

A uterine septum doesn’t always prevent pregnancy, but it can make it more difficult to achieve or maintain one.

The tissue that forms the septum often has a poorer blood supply than the normal lining of the uterus. If a fertilized egg implants on the septum, it may not receive the oxygen and nutrients needed to develop normally, increasing the risk of miscarriage.

A septum can also change the shape of the uterus, reducing the space available for a growing pregnancy. In some cases, this may increase the risk of complications such as recurrent miscarriage, preterm labor, breech presentation, or abnormal placental attachment.

How Is It Diagnosed?

A uterine septum is often discovered during a fertility evaluation or after a patient has experienced recurrent pregnancy loss. Your physician may recommend specialized imaging tests, such as a pelvic ultrasound, saline sonogram, or MRI, to evaluate the shape of the uterus.

While learning you have a uterine anomaly can feel overwhelming, many patients find relief simply in having an explanation for what they’ve been experiencing.

A Minimally Invasive Treatment Option

For many women, treatment involves an outpatient procedure called a hysteroscopic septum resection.

During this minimally invasive procedure, your physician carefully removes the tissue dividing the uterus, restoring a single uterine cavity. Because the surgery is performed through the cervix without external incisions, recovery is typically quick, and many patients are able to resume trying to conceive after healing.

For women whose infertility or recurrent miscarriages are related to a uterine septum, treatment can significantly improve the chances of carrying a pregnancy to term.

There Is Hope

One of the most difficult parts of infertility is living without answers. But sometimes, the cause is something that can be identified—and treated.

As you’ll see in the video above, discovering a uterine septum was a turning point in one patient’s journey. What once felt like an unexplained obstacle became a diagnosis with a solution, ultimately giving her the opportunity to become a mother.

Every fertility journey is different, and a uterine septum is just one of many conditions that can affect fertility. That’s why a comprehensive evaluation is so important. At Carolinas Fertility Institute, our goal is to help patients find answers, understand their options, and move forward with confidence and hope.

If you’ve experienced infertility or recurrent miscarriages, we’re here to help. Together, we’ll work to understand the underlying cause and develop a personalized treatment plan that gives you the best opportunity to build the family you’ve been dreaming about.