The Use and Effectiveness of in Vitro Fertilization in Women with Endometriosis: the Surgeon's Perspective

Objective: To assess the use and effectiveness of IVF in a cohort of women undergoing surgery for endometriosis.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: University hospital.

Patient(s): Four hundred thirty-eight patients who attempted to become pregnant after conservative surgery for endometriosis.

Intervention(s): Interview.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Pregnancy and IVF use.

Result(s): One hundred ninety-four women conceived in vivo (44%). One hundred twenty-four women did not undergo IVF despite their infertility status (51% of the group of women who failed to conceive in vivo). One hundred thirty-nine women underwent at least one IVF attempt. The cumulative rate of IVF use at 36 months of infertility was 33%. The live-birth/ongoing pregnancy rate per started cycle and per patient was 10% and 20%, respectively.

Conclusion(s): In a large tertiary care and referral center, IVF played only a minor role in the treatment of endometriosis-associated infertility.