Reproductive outcome following hysteroscopic treatment of uterine septum

Fertility-enhancing hysteroscopic surgery; multi-center retrospective cohort study of reproductive outcome

INTRODUCTION

Hysteroscopic surgery and assisted reproduction technology are feasible ways to improve the reproductive outcome. Our aim was to study hysteroscopic septoplasty and myomectomy's effect on infertility and reproductive performance.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort of patients who had unexplained infertility and/or recurrent miscarriages and had myomectomy or septoplasty in the period September 2016-october 2021 with a total of 18 months' follow up. The main outcome measures were spontaneous pregnancy, term pregnancy and miscarriage. For analysis, we used Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-five patients were included. The mean age of patients was 39 years. 40 patients had septum resection and 125 patients had hysteroscopic myomectomy. A spontaneous pregnancy rate after surgery was achieved in 46 patients (27.9%). Out of the 64 patients who had failed IVF preoperatively, 32 patients (50%) had a successful IVF post-hysteroscopic surgery and there were more successful cases in the patients who had fibroid resection but this difference did not reach a statistical significance (P value 0.055). In the 79 pregnancies after surgery, preterm birth and miscarriage were seen in 10 patients (12.7%), similarly, respectively after septal or fibroid resection. Miscarriages were less post-operatively. Hysteroscopic myomectomy, compared with hysteroscopic metroplasty, was significantly associated with higher spontaneous pregnancy rate (63.0% Vs 37.0%, P value 0.018), more term pregnancies (87.5% vs. 12.5%, P value 0.001) and less miscarriage rate (40%vs 60%, P value 0.003). Pregnancy post-operatively in patients with primary infertility was more statistically significantly associated with hysteroscopic myomectomy than with hysteroscopic septoplasty (95.8% vs. 4.2%, p value 0.030). In patients who got pregnant postoperatively there was no statistically significant difference in the mode of delivery.

CONCLUSION

In carefully selected patients with unexplained infertility and recurrent miscarriage, hysteroscopic myomectomy, compared with hysteroscopic metroplasty, was significantly associated with higher spontaneous pregnancy, more term pregnancies and less miscarriage rates. More than metroplasty, hysteroscopic myomectomy led to higher spontaneous pregnancies in patients with primary infertility.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT05560295.

Efficacy of hysteroscopic septum resection in infertile women: a single center experience

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to reveal the effectiveness of hysteroscopic septum resection on the reproductive outcomes of infertile patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We included 46 infertile women who underwent hysteroscopic septum resection of septate uterus (complete: group 1, n = 21; incomplete: group 2, n = 25). Only patients with a septate uterus as the cause of infertility were included in the study. Patients' age, body mass, duration of infertility, type of infertility, duration of surgery, surgical complications, remnant septa, and postoperative reproductive results were recorded.

RESULTS

Preoperative abortion was found to be nine (42.9%) in group 1 and 15 (60.0%) in group 2. In the postoperative control HSG, remnant septa was found to be significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 (three patients or 14.3% and 0%, respectively). Pregnancy was detected in 13 patients (61.9%) in group 1 and 18 patients (72%) in group 2 at the postsurgical follow-up. Abortion occurred for two patients (9.5%) in group 1 and three patients (12%) in group 2.

CONCLUSION

We obtained positive growth results after hysteroscopic septum resection in both the complete and incomplete cases. However, we found that the duration of surgery was prolonged and the rate of remnant septa increased in cases with a complete septum.

Role of hyaluronic acid intrauterine injection in the prevention of Asherman's syndrome in women undergoing uterine septum resection: An RCT

Background

Adhesion due to intrauterine surgery such as septal resection associated with damaged endometrium can increase the risk of Asherman's syndrome. The main goal of treatment in this syndrome is to repair the damaged endometrium for creating a physiological pregnancy.

Objective

To investigate the effect of intrauterine injection of hyaluronic acid on the prevention of Asherman's syndrome in women undergoing uterine septum resection.

Materials and Methods

In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 65 women undergoing the uterine septum resection were divided into two groups; the case group (n = 34) and the control group (n = 31). Immediately after the septal resection with a resectoscope, 1cc of hyaluronic acid gel in the case group and 1cc normal saline solution as a placebo in the control group was injected into the uterine cavity. After two months, existence of intrauterine adhesions in the both groups was examined by the hysteroscope and assessment of menstrual patterns, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine criteria.

Results

Our results showed that after intervention, the incidence of Asherman's syndrome in the control group was higher than the case group (p = 0.012). In the case group, only four women had poor adhesion (Asherman's syndrome) at the end of the study, while the rest of them were free of any adhesions in the uterine cavity. In the control group, however, only 19 were free of intrauterine adhesions and 12 had mild symptoms.

Conclusion

The results of the study exhibited the hyaluronic acid capacity to reduce the risk of Asherman's syndrome in women with endometrial damage following a septal resection surgery.

New Ambulatory Hysteroscopic Septoplasty using Ballooning in a Woman with Complete Septate Uterus: A Case Report

A 40-year-old G1 P0 L0 A1 woman was referred to our clinic with 6-year history of infertility. Before visiting the clinic, she had 3 cycles of In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures (2 cycles of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation-IVF and 1 cycle of frozen-thawed Embryo Transfer (ET)) at other clinic. She had medical history of abortion at early gestation following FET (frozen-thawed-ET). The patient had complete type of septate uterus, double cervix and longitudinal vaginal septum. Vaginal septotomy was done first and 1 month later, hysteroscopic septoplasty was followed using ballooning filled with dye. After septoplasty, we inserted ballooning and left for several days to compress septal endometrium on the septectomy area. All procedures were done in the ambulatory operating room without laparoscopy or admission. 3 months later, she had in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and FET procedures in our clinic. She had successful pregnancy and now is at 22 weeks of gestation. New ambulatory septoplasty using dye-filled ballooning is easy, safe and minimally invasive surgery for treatment of complete septate uterus.