Ovarian response after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy for endometriotic cysts in 132 monitored cycles

To investigate the follicular response of ovaries after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy for endometriotic cysts.

A retrospective, controlled study.

Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of a university hospital.

Patients with history of infertility who had laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy for endometriotic cysts.

Laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy, transvaginal ultrasound monitoring of follicles in natural cycles, stimulated cycles using clomiphene citrate (CC), chronic low-dose FSH, and "flare down" regimen.

Follicular response of postcystectomy and normal ovaries.

For women < 35 years of age, the mean follicular response of postcystectomy ovaries was reduced significantly when compared with normal ovaries in natural cycles (0.30 versus 1.00 follicle per cycle) and in CC-stimulated cycles (0.87 versus 1.27 follicles per cycle). The mean follicular response was not statistically significantly different when the ovaries were stimulated with chronic low-dose FSH or with the flare down regimen. For women > or = 35 years, postcystectomy ovaries responded with a comparable number of follicles as the normal ovaries in natural cycles and the three different ovarian stimulation regimens.

Postcystectomy ovaries showed reduced follicular response in natural and CC-stimulated cycles for women < 35 years of age. Postcystectomy ovaries produced a comparable number of follicles as normal ovaries when stimulated with gonadotropins.