OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of myomectomy as a therapy for infertility and to define the factors that influence reproductive outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective study of a case series. SETTING: An academic department specializing in conservative surgery. PATIENT(S): A total of 138 infertile women who underwent first-line conservative surgical treatment at laparotomy for uterine leiomyomas over an 8-year period. INTERVENTION(S): Data were collected on baseline clinical characteristics, surgical details, and subsequent reproductive history. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cumulative pregnancy rates at 24 months according to selected clinical and fibroid characteristics. RESULT(S): Pregnancy occurred in 76 women. The 24-month cumulative probability of conception according to the Kaplan-Meier method was 87% in patients <30 years of age, 66% in patients 30-35 years of age, and 47% in patients >35 years of age. The pregnancy rates in women with and without minor infertility factors in addition to myomas were 56% and 71%, respectively, and those in women with <2 years versus > or =2 years of infertility were 84% and 51%, respectively. The size and site of the largest myoma and the total number of tumors removed did not influence the outcome. CONCLUSION(S): Our results suggest a benefit of myomectomy in infertile patients. However, women should be counseled carefully before surgery because the determinants of outcome appear to be independent of treatment.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of myomectomy as a therapy for infertility and to define the factors that influence reproductive outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective study of a case series. SETTING: An academic department specializing in conservative surgery. PATIENT(S): A total of 138 infertilewomen who underwent first-line conservative surgical treatment at laparotomy for uterine leiomyomas over an 8-year period. INTERVENTION(S): Data were collected on baseline clinical characteristics, surgical details, and subsequent reproductive history. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cumulative pregnancy rates at 24 months according to selected clinical and fibroid characteristics. RESULT(S): Pregnancy occurred in 76 women. The 24-month cumulative probability of conception according to the Kaplan-Meier method was 87% in patients <30 years of age, 66% in patients 30-35 years of age, and 47% in patients >35 years of age. The pregnancy rates in women with and without minor infertility factors in addition to myomas were 56% and 71%, respectively, and those in women with <2 years versus > or =2 years of infertility were 84% and 51%, respectively. The size and site of the largest myoma and the total number of tumors removed did not influence the outcome. CONCLUSION(S): Our results suggest a benefit of myomectomy in infertilepatients. However, women should be counseled carefully before surgery because the determinants of outcome appear to be independent of treatment.
Authors: Gary Levy; Micah J Hill; Stephanie Beall; Shvetha M Zarek; James H Segars; William H Catherino Journal: J Assist Reprod Genet Date: 2012-05-15 Impact factor: 3.412