OBJECTIVES: Endometrial tuberculosis, which commonly affects women of reproductive age, is a significant cause of intrauterine adhesions (IUA), potentially leading to hypomenorrhea, amenorrhea, and infertility. Hysteroscopic adhesiolysis is the primary treatment for IUA; however, studies specifically addressing its efficacy in tuberculosis-induced IUA remain scarce. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic outcomes of hysteroscopic adhesiolysis for IUA caused by endometrial tuberculosis. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with tuberculosis-induced IUA who underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis at the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between May 2014 and October 2022. Clinical data including age, medical history, adhesion severity, surgical treatment, and reproductive outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 39 patients identified, 2 were lost to follow-up. A total of 37 patients were included, with a follow-up duration ranging from 6 months to 9 years. Hypomenorrhea was reported in 24 (64.9%) patients, secondary amenorrhea in 10 (27.0%) patients, and normal menstruation in 3 (8.1%) patients. Most patients presented with primary infertility (59.5%), and only 2 (5.4%) had secondary infertility. The median American Fertility Society (AFS) score at initial assessment was 10 (range, 8-12); 8 (21.6%) patients had moderate IUA, and 29 (78.4%) had severe IUA. A total of 86 surgical procedures were performed across 37 patients, with 27 patients undergoing 2 or more surgeries. Postoperatively, 25 (67.6%) patients achieved normalization of the uterine cavity, while 12 (32.4%) still had a reduced cavity. Only 7 (18.9%) patients had a grossly normal endometrium at the final surgery, all of whom had moderate adhesions at the initial procedure. Menstrual flow returned to normal in 12 (32.4%) patients, while 25 (67.6%) continued to experience hypomenorrhea. Of 29 patients who attempted in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET), only 6 (20.7%) conceived. Among these, 4 (13.8%) delivered at term via cesarean section; one case was complicated by postpartum hemorrhage due to uterine atony and another by placental adhesion. CONCLUSIONS Endometrial tuberculosis can lead to severe IUA. Hysteroscopic adhesiolysis facilitates cavity restoration and improvement of menstrual conditions, but the overall reproductive outcomes remain suboptimal.
Humans ; Female ; Hysteroscopy/methods* ; Tissue Adhesions/etiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Uterine Diseases/etiology* ; Infertility, Female/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Tuberculosis, Female Genital/surgery* ; Fertility ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: Transcervical resection of adhesions (TCRA) under hysteroscopy is the mainstay treatment for intrauterine adhesions (IUA), but its effectiveness varies depending on the surgical approach. This study aims to investigate the impact of different surgical techniques on endometrial repair and pregnancy outcomes in patients with secondary infertility and moderate-to-severe IUA. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 225 patients who underwent TCRA followed by in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer between January 2021 and December 2022. Patients were grouped based on the surgical method: A cold knife group (n=127) and an electrosurgical group (n=98). Adhesions were separated using either cold knife or electrosurgical instruments. Postoperative visualization of uterine angle and tubal ostia, endometrial restoration, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in adhesion tissues, and clinical pregnancy outcomes were compared. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors influencing pregnancy outcomes. A LightGBM model was constructed to predict pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: Compared with the electrosurgical group, patients in the cold knife group had significantly greater postoperative endometrial thickness [(8.86±0.53) mm vs (8.10±0.87) mm, P<0.05], higher live birth rates (64.57% vs 30.61%, P<0.05), and lower VEGF expression (1.31±0.09 vs 1.53±0.16, P<0.05). Logistic regression analyses identified age, number of visible tubal ostia postoperatively, and surgical method as significant factors affecting pregnancy outcomes (P<0.05). The LightGBM model based on surgical method had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.882 (0.838-0.926), with internal validation AUC of 0.817 (0.790-0.840). CONCLUSIONS Cold knife surgery promotes faster recovery of the endometrial microenvironment and earlier improvement of fertility in patients with secondary infertility and IUA Surgical method is a key factor influencing pregnancy outcomes, and the LightGBM model based on surgical approach shows good predictive performance for pregnancy outcomes in patients with moderate-to-severe IUA.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Tissue Adhesions/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Uterine Diseases/surgery* ; Hysteroscopy/methods* ; Infertility, Female/etiology* ; Electrosurgery/methods* ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Endometrium/surgery* ; Embryo Transfer ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism*

In this review, we tried to systematize all the evidence (from PubMed [MEDLINE], Scopus, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Embase, and Google Scholar) from 1993 to 2021 on the predictors of microsurgical varicocelectomy efficacy in male infertility treatment. Regarding the outcomes of varicocele repair, we considered semen improvement and pregnancy and analyzed them separately. Based on the 2011 Oxford CEBM Levels of Evidence, we assigned a score to each trial that studied the role of the predictor. We systematized the studied predictors based on the total points, which were, in turn, calculated based on the number and quality of studies that confirmed or rejected the studied predictor as significant, into three levels of significance: predictors of high, moderate, and low clinical significance. Preoperative total motile sperm count (TMSC) coupled with sperm concentration can be a significant predictor of semen improvement and pregnancy after varicocelectomy. In addition, for semen improvement alone, scrotal Doppler ultrasound (DUS) parameters, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), and bilateral varicocelectomy are reliable predictors of microsurgical varicocelectomy efficacy.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Infertility, Male/surgery* ; Microsurgery ; Semen ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Varicocele/surgery*

The hemodynamic characteristics of venous reflux are associated with infertility in patients with varicocele; however, an effective method for quantifying the structural distribution of the reflux is lacking. This study aimed to predict surgical outcomes using a new software for venous reflux quantification. This was a retrospective cohort study of a consecutive series of 105 patients (age range: 22-44 years) between July 2017 and September 2019. Venous reflux of the varicocele was obtained using the Valsalva maneuver during scrotal Doppler ultrasonography before microsurgical varicocelectomy. Using this software, the colored reflux signals were segmented, and the gray scale of the color pixels representing the reflux velocity was comprehensively quantified into the mean reflux velocity of the green layer (MRVG) and the reflux velocity standard deviation of the green layer (RVSDG). Spontaneous pregnancy and changes from baseline in the semen parameters were assessed during a 12-month follow-up period. Data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. An association of the high MRVG group with impaired progressive motility (odds ratio [OR] = 2.868, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.133-7.265) and impaired sperm concentration (OR = 2.943, 95% CI: 1.196-7.239) was found during multivariate analysis. High MRVG (OR = 2.680, 95% CI: 1.086-6.614) and high RVSDG (OR = 2.508, 95% CI: 1.030-6.111) were found to be independent predictors of failure to achieve pregnancy following microsurgical repair. In summary, intense venous reflux is an independent predictor of impaired progressive motility, sperm concentration, and pregnancy outcomes after microsurgical varicocelectomy.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Varicocele/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Semen ; Veins/surgery* ; Sperm Count ; Infertility, Male/surgery* ; Microsurgery/methods* ; Sperm Motility

Female ; Humans ; Hysteroscopy ; Infertility, Female ; Laparoscopy ; Pregnancy ; Uterus/surgery*

Seminal duct obstruction may result in obstructive azoospermia (OA) and severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) (<0.5 million/mL) (Nordhoff et al., 2015). Cases of partial OA and OAT can be treated effectively by microsurgical anastomosis (Goldstein and Kim, 2013) to obtain successful surgical reversal. However, microsurgical vasovasostomy (VV) (Dickey et al., 2015) and vasoepididymostomy (VE) (Peng et al., 2017) are not suitable for patients with atypical OA and poor epididymis conditions or unpredictable obstruction of the distal vas deferens. For those patients, cross anastomosis may be applied instead of routine VE or VV. A single-center, retrospective, comparison study was conducted, which assessed the usefulness of the cross VV (CVV) in the scrotum for indication and efficacy. A total of 77 cases with OA or OAT were included, and 20 cases implemented cross anastomosis, including unilateral CVV (UCVV) in 4 cases, unilateral VE plus CVV (UVE+CVV) in 11 cases, and unilateral VV-based CVV (UVV+CVV) in 5 cases. The other 57 cases received no cross-matching anastomosis. The patency and natural pregnancy rates in one year were 75.0% and 50.0%, respectively, in the UCVV group; 54.5% and 27.3%, respectively, in the UVE+CVV group; and 60.0% and 40.0%, respectively, in the UVV+CVV group. The CVV in the scrotum in the selected patients with OA and severe OAT could yield good results. We regard the CVV in the scrotum as an efficacious operation with a lower risk of injury in cases of atypical OA.
Adult ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; Azoospermia/surgery* ; Epididymis/pathology* ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility/surgery* ; Male ; Oligospermia/surgery* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Retrospective Studies ; Scrotum/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Vas Deferens ; Vasovasostomy/methods* ; Young Adult

In the past two decades, with the rapid development of assisted reproductive technology and particularly the technological advances in male infertility microsurgery, many obstructive azoospermia-related infertile couples can now acquire the chances of natural pregnancy via reconstruction of the seminal tract. This article highlights the latest advances in surgical reconstruction of the seminal tract for the treatment of obstructive azoospermia, such as the application of laparoscopic and robotic techniques, with a discussion on microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration and preservation, potential use of absorbable sutures or the bio-suture tape for microsurgical anastomosis in the management of obstructive azoospermia.
Azoospermia ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; surgery ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Microsurgery ; methods ; Pregnancy ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Seminal Vesicles ; surgery ; Sperm Retrieval ; Sutures

This study was performed to evaluate the oncological and reproductive outcomes of childbearing-age women treated with fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) for non-epithelial ovarian tumors in China. One hundred and forty eight non-epithelial ovarian tumor women treated with FSS between January 1, 2000 and August 31, 2015 from two medical centers in China were identified. Progression-free survival (PFS) was 88.5%, whereas overall survival (OS) was 93.9%. Univariate analysis suggested that delivery after treatment is related to PFS (P = 0.023), whereas histology significantly influenced OS. Cox regression analysis suggested that only histology was associated with PFS and OS (P < 0.05). Among the 129 women who completed adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT), none developed amenorrhea. Among the 44 women who desired pregnancy, 35 (79.5%) successfully had 51 gestations including 35 live births without birth defects. Non-epithelial ovarian tumors can achieve fulfilling prognosis after FSS and chemotherapy. Histology might be the only independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS. FSS followed by ACT appeared to have little or no effect on fertility. Meanwhile, postoperative pregnancy did not increase the PFS or OS. Use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist was not beneficial for fertility.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; adverse effects ; Child ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Neoplasm Staging ; Organ Sparing Treatments ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Analysis ; Young Adult

We report 3 cases of successful pregnancies in women with a history of surgeries for gynecological malignancies and postoperative infertility, achieved by in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. All the 3 patients had clinical pregnancies without cancer recurrence. In such cancer survivors with infertility, the ovarian reserve is severely impaired by cancer therapies and assisted reproductive techniques should be the primary option.
Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; therapy ; Neoplasms ; surgery ; Pregnancy ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of random-start controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in cancer patients for emergency fertility preservation. In this retrospective comparative study, 22 patients diagnosed with cancer and 44 infertile women undergoing conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) were included. In cancer patients, ovarian stimulation was started on the day of referral, irrespective of their menstrual cycle date. The control group was selected by age matching among women undergoing conventional IVF. COS outcomes were compared between groups. The number of total and mature oocytes retrieved and the oocyte maturity rate were higher in the random-start group than in the conventional-start group. However, duration of ovarian stimulation was longer in the random-start group (11.4 vs. 10.3 days, P = 0.004). The addition of letrozole to lower the estradiol level during COS did not adversely affect total oocytes retrieved. However, oocyte maturity rate was lower in cycles with letrozole than in cycles without letrozole (71.6% vs. 58.2%, P = 0.019). Our study confirms the feasibility and effectiveness of random-start COS in cancer patients.
Cryopreservation ; Estradiol/blood ; Female ; Fertility Preservation/*methods ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Infertility, Female/surgery ; Neoplasms ; Nitriles/therapeutic use ; Oocyte Retrieval/*methods ; Ovulation Induction/*methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Triazoles/therapeutic use