Fertility rates after hysteroscopic treatment of submucous myomas depending on their type

Abstract

The objective was too evaluate the pregnancy rate and the chance of term pregnancy following hysteroscopic myomectomy depending on the type of the myoma. Between February 2000 and October 2005, a total of 25 patients under 36 years of age (mean 30.1±5.8 SD) with a diagnosis of primary or secondary infertility and menstrual disorders due to submucous myoma underwent hysteroscopic myomectomy. The subgroups of the patients depending on the type of the myomas were: Type 0, 14 patients; type I, 7 patients; and type II, 4 patients. For the subgroup of patients with type II myomas there was a control group of 8 patients with infertility but without menstrual disorders who did not consent to undergoing operative hysteroscopic treatment and received expectant management. Mean myoma size was 22.6±14.7 mm, mean duration of the procedure was 28±17 min, and mean follow-up was 18±12.5 months. Menstrual pattern was reestablished in 84% of patients. Hysteroscopic myomectomy was associated with an increase in pregnancy rate: 57.1% for patients with type 0 myoma and 42.8% for patients with type I myoma. Patients with type II myoma, after hysteroscopic myomectomy, had a 25% pregnancy rate, while patients who received expectant management had a 50% rate. Delivery at term was achieved by 35.7% of patients with type 0 myoma, by 28.5% of patients with type I myoma, and by 25% of patients with type II myoma, after hysteroscopic myomectomy. Patients with type II myoma without menstrual disorders had a 37.5% term delivery rate receiving expectant management. Three patients had a spontaneous abortion during the first trimester (12%) and one patient had premature labor at 34 weeks’ gestation (4%). Fertility rates appear to increase after hysteroscopic myomectomy of type 0 and type I myomas in previously infertile patients. In patients with type II myomas fertility rates did not increase, in contrast with patients with type II myomas who received expectant management. No difference in fertility rates was observed between patients with different types of submucous myomas after myomectomy, while the complication rate for these procedures is low. Patients’ age and type of infertility (primary or secondary) are factors that do not affect fertility rates after hysteroscopic myomectomy.