Reproductive outcome after laparoscopic myomectomy in infertile women

Abstract

Objective: To assess reproductive outcome after laparoscopic myomectomies for interstitial and/or subserosal myomas in infertile women with or without associated infertility factors.

Study design: In this observational study, 91 women with infertility for one year and at least one interstitial and/or subserosal myoma > 20 mm were treated with laparoscopic myomectomy. All patients were mailed questions about fertility and pregnancy outcome. Cumulative pregnancy rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The log rank test and Cox's model were used for comparing the spontaneous pregnancy rate in patients with and without associated infertility factors.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 35 +/- 4 years. The mean duration of infertility was 44 +/- 33 months. Twenty-five patients (27.5%) had no associated infertility factors, and 66 (72.5%) had one or more. The mean size of the largest myomas was 45 +/- 19 mm. The mean number of myomas removed was 2.0 +/- 1.4. Eighty-six patients had laparoscopic myomectomy (94.5%), and five had laparoscopically assisted myomectomy (5.5%). There were no conversions to laparotomy. Ten patients were lost to follow-up (11.0%). Among the 91 patients treated surgically, 81 (89.0%) of them were evaluated. Forty-three (53.1%) conceived, resulting in a total of 51 pregnancies. The two-year overall cumulative conception rate was 51.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 39.2-63.2%). The two-year spontaneous pregnancy rate was 43.9% (95% CI, 32.1-55.7%). This rate was 69.9% (95% CI, 50.3-89.5%) for patients with no associated factors and 31.5% (95% CI, 18.4-44.6%) for patients with associated factors (P < .001). This result was not affected by adjusting for age or duration of infertility.

Conclusion: Laparoscopic myomectomy seems to be a good procedure for patients with myomas and no other infertility factors. In cases with associated infertility factors, the need for myomectomy has to be studied.