Fertility outcome after outpatient hysteroscopic removal of endometrial polyps and submucous fibroids

Abstract

We assessed the value of hysteroscopic removal of polyps and submucous fibroids from women requesting fertility treatment. Between December 1991 and June 1995 we recruited 146 women (age 28-44 yrs) with such lesions who were undergoing investigations for in vitro fertilization (IVF). In most of them, intrauterine pathology was not the sole cause of subfertility. In all women the lesions were diagnosed by hysterosalpingography or vaginal ultrasound examination with fluid instillation and subsequent hysteroscopy. In 122 patients the lesion was removed hysteroscopically with the resectoscope under light sedation in an outpatient setting. No complications occurred during or after surgery. The remaining 24 patients with polyps smaller than 2 cm underwent IVF treatment directly. In the 122 women who proceeded to treatment, further diagnostic office hysteroscopy was also performed. Group A consisted of 82 women with up to three polyps (65 <2 cm, 17 >2 cm); group B, 40 women with up to five fibroids smaller than 4 cm; and group C, 24 women with ultrasound diagnosis of polyps smaller than 2 cm for whom no treatment was carried out. In groups A and B the diagnosis was confirmed histologically. All these women subsequently underwent IVF. In group A (<2 cm polyps) the pregnancy rate was 28% per embryo transfer, and in the rest of group A (>2 cm) it was 40%. In group B the pregnancy rate was 46% and in group C 35%. We think that polyps less than 2 cm diameter do not require removal before IVF and do not affect the outcome of the subsequent pregnancy.