In a nutshell
This study examined the impact of a common procedure called hysteroscopy on pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, premature delivery and low birth rate in infertile women.
Some background
An increasing number of women treated for infertility have a procedure called a hysteroscopy. This procedure allows the doctor to look inside the uterus (the womb) using a camera attached to thin tube. This can help the doctor to diagnose the cause of infertility, and also facilitate treatment of abnormal vaginal bleeding, retained placenta following birth or miscarriage or scarring from a previous surgery. While this procedure is known to be safe, complications such as damage to the cervix (the opening to the uterus) during the procedure may have an impact on a future pregnancy, according to a recent study.
Methods & findings
The authors studied the medical history of 654 women who attended an infertility clinic in Switzerland between the years 1997 and 2011. One quarter of the women had received a hysteroscopy prior to becoming pregnant, while the rest did not.
The authors found that the occurrence of miscarriage was similar in women who had a hysteroscopy (28%) and those that did not (23%). Likewise, the occurrence of premature birth before 37 weeks and 32 weeks, and the incidence of low infant birth weight were similar in women who had a hysteroscopy compared to those who did not. Furthermore, the number of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes (high blood sugar) or preeclampsia (high blood pressure) was similar in both groups.
The bottom line
The authors conclude that previous hysteroscopy in infertile women does not affect pregnancy outcome.
The fine print
The authors were not able to calculate the time interval between hysteroscopy and the beginning of pregnancy. It is possible that a shorter time period between treatment and onset of pregnancy could be an additional risk factor for premature birth.
What’s next?
If you have questions about hysteroscopy or any of the topics mentioned in this article please discuss them with your doctor.
Published By :
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Date :
Mar 26, 2014
