In a nutshell
This study investigated if hysteroscopy (HTS; involves a thin tube with a light inserted into the vagina to see the inside of the uterus) improves the success of fertility treatment. They found that HTS may be linked to higher live birth rate (LBR).
Some background
Infertility can be caused by a number of factors. Some couples will have issues with female and/or male fertility. One source of female infertility is uterine (womb) abnormalities (UABs). UABs are usually diagnosed using techniques to visualize the uterus. These include transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) and hysterosalpingography (HSG). Hysteroscopy (HTS) is another technique to visualize the uterus. It is the main technique for this purpose.
HTS is not used in standard fertility care. It is unclear if HTS is useful in women undergoing fertility treatment.
Methods & findings
This study reviewed HTS in patients undergoing fertility treatment. 9 clinical trials with 2976 women were included in this review. Patients were undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs). Some patients underwent HTS and others did not. The authors analyzed the outcomes of fertility treatment. These included live birth rate (LBR) and pregnancy rate (PR).
The LBR was 48% higher in patients that underwent HTS. This included 3 studies and 1088 patients. The PR was 45% higher in patients that underwent HTS. This included in 7 studies and 2545 patients.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that HTS may be linked to higher LBR in women undergoing fertility treatment.
The fine print
The quality of the evidence in this report was not high. The patients in the studies had similar infertility issues. More investigation is needed to determine if HTS is useful in fertility treatment.
What’s next?
If you have any concerns regarding fertility treatment, please discuss this with your doctor.
Published By :
Medicine
Date :
Feb 01, 2019
