The results of tubal surgery in the treatment of infertility in two non-specialist hospitals

Abstract

The results of surgery for tubal damage, other than reversal of sterilization, were studied in two large hospitals. This is the first recent study from centres claiming no special expertise in this surgery. An unusually high follow-up rate was obtained. The term pregnancy rate for patients operated on for bilateral distal tubal occlusion was 4%. The success rate is lower than the lowest reported, overall success rates for each cycle of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and very much lower than cumulative term pregnancy rates for tubal surgery reported by most other authors. Patients with distal tubal occlusion but minimal adhesions had the best prognosis. Our results suggest that, provided in vitro fertilization is available, only those patients with good prognostic factors should undergo tubal surgery. These represent the minority of all patients with non-iatrogenic tubal blockage.