Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system that facilitates receiving a first electromagnetic wave propagating along a transmission medium, detecting, according to the first electromagnetic wave, an obstruction on a first portion of an outer surface of the transmission medium, responsive to the detecting the obstruction, configuring a material to have similar properties to the obstruction, the material being positioned along a second portion of the outer surface of the transmission medium, and generating a second electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium without relying on an electrical return path to facilitate propagation of the second electromagnetic wave along the transmission medium, the material facilitating propagation of the second electromagnetic wave from the second portion of the outer surface of the transmission medium to the first portion of the transmission medium affected by the obstruction. Other embodiments are disclosed.