Laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy of endometriomas does not affect the ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ovarian response cycles of IVF-ET in patients who previously underwent laparoscopic cystectomy for endometriomas. DESIGN: Retrospective study with prospective selection of participants and controls. SETTING: Instituto de Ginecología y Fertilidad Buenos Aires, Argentina. PATIENT(S): Thirty-nine patients underwent an operation for ovarian endometriomas by atraumatic removal of the pseudocapsule with minimal bipolar cauterization of small bleeders and an IVF-ET cycle (group A) and 39 control patients of similar age underwent an IVF-ET cycle for tubal factor infertility (group B). INTERVENTION(S): Laparoscopic endometrioma cystectomy, IVF-ET cycle. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): E(2) levels, number of gonadotropin ampoules, follicles, oocytes retrieved, number and quality of embryos transferred, and clinical pregnancy rate. RESULT(S): There were no differences in all the parameters studied (E(2) levels, number of follicles, oocytes retrieved, number and quality of embryos transferred, and clinical pregnancy rate) except for the number of gonadotropin ampoules needed for ovarian hyperstimulation, which was significantly higher in group A than in group B. CONCLUSION(S): Our results indicate that laparoscopic cystectomy for endometriomas is an appropriate treatment since it did not negatively affect the ovarian response for IVF-ET.