Korean J Fertil Steril.
2003 Jun;30(2):141-150.
Efficacy of Diagnostic Laparoscopy for TFTC (Transcervical Fallopian Tube Catheterization) in Tubal Infertility Patients
- Affiliations
-
- 1Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Samsung Cheil Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Cheil Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. novak21c@yahoo.co.kr
- 3Department of Radiology, Samsung Cheil Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether diagnostic laparoscopy before transcervical fallopian tube catheterization (TFTC) would improve tubal recanalization rate and pregnancy rate in patients with bilateral proximal tubal blockage in hysterosalpingogram (HSG).
METHODS
The retrospective study was performed in those underwent TFTC from January 1998 to December 2001. A total of 50 patients with bilateral proximal tubal blockage in HSG were subjected to TFTC sequentially using repeated HSG (rHSG), selective salpingography (SS) followed by tubal catheterization (TFTC). Each procedure was terminated once patency had been achieved without proceding to the next technique.
In Group A patients (n=35, 64 tubes), diagnostic laparoscopy was performed before TFTC was taken to exclude the tube combined with peritubal adhesion or distal tubal pathology. In Group B, patients (n=15, 26 tubes) were performed TFTC without diagnostic laparoscopy.
RESULTS
There were significant difference in clinical pregnancy rate (45.7% vs 15.4%, p=0.034) but no differences were found in recanalization rate (75.0% vs 73.1%) and complication rate (8.6% vs 13.3%). Although there is no signficant difference, more tubes were canalized by SS, which means tubal obstruction rather than occlusion, in Group A (25.0% vs 5.3%, p=0.069).
CONCLUSION
Diagnostic laparoscopy would be effective in the selection of tube for the relatively inexpensive and less invasive TFTC or patients in need of assisted reproductive technologies. With the tubes without combined peritubal adhesion or distal tubal pathology, pregnancy rate was significantly increased.