O-057 The impact of diagnosis endometriosis as part of the fertility workup

Abstract

Abstract Abstract text The impact of diagnosis endometriosis as part of the Fertility workup Endometriosis is a multifaceted disease that may go from completely asymptomatic to a debilitating condition with severe pelvic pain complicated infertility. In the last few years, how we approach fertility in women with endometriosis has clearly changed, postponing definitive/radical surgery till the patient has completed her family. As a clear association exists with endometriosis and infertility, during the fertility workup it is one of the diseases to investigate, as it may have been missed in previous annual gynecologic checkups. Here we may face two problems: a) the stigma of diagnosis a young women with the label “endometriosis”, as she may be under the pressure of a progressive disease that may or may not affect her quality of life, and b) if the diagnosis of endometriosis is positive, how this may affect the decision making process during the fertility journey. In this lecture we will discuss the difficulties of early diagnosis of endometriosis, why most of the previous test have failed, and the new opportunity that miRNAs seem to offer. Once endometriosis is diagnosed –early or late stages- how this may affect spontaneous chances of pregnancy, ovarian reserve, oocyte and embryo quality, endometrial receptivity, and last but not least, time to pregnancy. Obviously, the prognosis changes over time, and women’s age will be conditioning most of our decisions. We will try to identify whom to treat, to increase the absolute pregnancy rate, and when to treat, to reduce the time to pregnancy. Finally, we will discuss the opportunity of fertility preservation in this particular subgroup of women. Being aware of the potential damage that endometriosis by itself, or the associated ovarian surgery, may inflict on ovarian reserve make these women more proactive for fertility preservation.