Ultrasound-guided aspiration of hydrosalpinx occurring during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation could improve clinical outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

AIM: To investigate whether aspiration of hydrosalpinx during oocyte retrieval could improve the clinical outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

METHODS

The clinical data of 598 IVF-ET cycles with tubal factor infertility at Reproductive Medical Center, 105 Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Anhui, China, between March 2011 and July 2015 were analyzed in this retrospective study. Among them, 71 cycles with unilateral or bilateral hydrosalpinx confirmed on both hysterosalpingography (HSG) and ultrasonography before controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) were assigned to group A. A total of 51 cycles with unilateral or bilateral hydrosalpinx occurring during COH and confirmed on ultrasonography were assigned to group B. In both group A and group B, ultrasound-guided hydrosalpinx aspiration was performed in all patients when oocyte retrieval was finished. A further 35 cycles with unilateral or bilateral hydrosalpinx during COH received no intervention and were assigned to group C. A total of 441 cycles without hydrosalpinx on HSG or on ultrasonography before or during COH served as the control (group D). The IVF-ET outcomes of the four groups were analyzed and compared.

RESULTS

The embryo implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate in group A and group C were significantly lower than those in group B and group D. The ongoing pregnancy rate in group A was significantly lower than that in group B and group D, and the ongoing pregnancy rate in group C was significantly lower than that in group D.

CONCLUSION

Aspiration of hydrosalpinx occurring during COH could significantly improve the clinical outcomes of IVF-ET, but not for the hydrosalpinx occurring before COH.