Clinical outcome and hormone profile of laparoscopic ovarian drilling in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome

A. Onofriescu, D. Nemescu, M. Onofriescu, C. Vulpoi

Abstract: Although laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) has been widely used to induce ovulation in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), predicting the clinical response to this treatment remains to be elucidated. The study was carried out to identify factors that may help to predict the outcome and hormone profile of LOD. This retrospective study included 40 patients with anovulatory infertility due to PCOS who underwent LOD between 2009 and 2012. The influence of the various patient characteristics on the ovulation and pregnancy rates after LOD was achieved. The patient’s characteristics including age, body mass index (BMI), menstrual pattern, serum concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH), LH/folliclestimulating hormone ratio, testosterone, and duration of infertility on the outcome of LOD was evaluated. Women with BMI ≥35 kg/m2, serum testosterone concentration ≥5 nmol/l, and duration of infertility >3 years seem to be poor responders to LOD. In LOD responders, serum LH levels >10 IU/l appeared to be associated with higher pregnancy rates. Obesity, hyperandrogenism and long duration of infertility in women with PCOS seem to predict resistance to LOD. The ovulation and pregnancy rates in women with infertility duration of <3 years, treated with diathermy, reached 85 and 80% respectively.
DOI:10.18643/gieu.2013.170

Keywords: polycystyc ovary syndrome, hyperandrogenism, infertility, laparoscopy