Can Laparoscopic Cystectomy Improve Pregnancy Outcomes in Endometrioma? A Prospective Clinical Trial Study

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this prospective study was to compare the ovarian response and pregnancy outcomes in the infertile women with endometrioma undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in two groups, who were underwent laparoscopic cystectomy and received gonadotropin releasing hormone-agonist (GnRH-agonist) and who only received GnRH-agonist without any surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective clinical trial study, 79 infertile women with asymptomatic endometriomas cyst (2-6 cm) were enrolled and randomly assigned to two groups. First group underwent laparoscopic cystectomy and received GnRH-agonist. Second group only received GnRH-agonist without any surgery. Following ovulation induction, all patients underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Different parameters such as the number of retrieved oocytes and embryos; were made our outcomes that analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: The pregnancy rate, chemical and clinical, and live birth rate were higher in the combined group, although these differences were not statistically significant (48.48% vs. 30.8%, P=0.12, 36.36% vs. 25.6%, P=0.32, 36.36% vs. 23.1%, P=0.29). The number of injections, antral follicles, retrieved oocytes, mature oocytes, total embryos, transferred embryos and duration of stimulation were similar in two groups. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic cystectomy followed by receiving GnRH-agonist improves pregnancy outcomes in endometrioma prior to treatment with ART (registration number: IRCT201106116689N2).