Pregnancy rates following surgery to treat uterine defects

This study examined whether live birth rates are affected by uterine septum size, following surgical removal of the septum.

Infertility, or the inability to conceive, affects 5-15% of couples worldwide. The assessment of infertility includes examination of the female fallopian tubes (tubes that deliver the fertilized egg to the womb) and uterus (in order to detect defects or blockages). One of the most common defects of the female reproductive system is the presence of an extra wall in the uterus. This is known as a uterine septum and can lead to repeated pregnancy loss and infertility. The uterine septum can vary in size, covering only part of the uterus or, more rarely, extending the whole length of the uterus. The most common treatment is removal of the septum via a relatively minor and safe surgery.

This study examined 112 infertile women who had surgery to remove a partial uterine septum. 85 women were classified as having a small uterine septum, while 27 women had a large uterine septum. The authors examined whether septum size would affect pregnancy rates in a two year follow-up period after surgery.

Overall, the number of live births after surgery was greatly improved in both groups, with almost 50% of the previously infertile women having a live birth. This confirmed the effectiveness of surgical treatment for this condition. However, the size of the septum had no impact on the number of live births. 72% of women with a small septum had a live birth compared with 61% of women with a large septum.

The authors conclude that surgical removal of a partial uterine septum significantly improves pregnancy rates, regardless of septum size. 

A small septum was defined as being half the size of the uterine cavity. However, the uterine cavity size was based on a previously reported average, rather than on the size of the patients in this particular study.