Fertility after ectopic pregnancy. Effects of surgery and expectant management

To evaluate the effects of different management strategies for ectopic pregnancy on fertility.

Retrospective cohort study of 180 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy between September 1988 and December 1995. The fertility rate after ectopic pregnancy treated with surgery was compared with that after expectant treatment. Statistical analysis took into consideration the following confounding variables: history of sterility, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, use of intrauterine device, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease or pelvic surgery prior to ectopic pregnancy, and type of therapy for ectopic pregnancy.

Of the 180 women enrolled in the study, 97 desired conception. The intrauterine conception rate was similar in those initially treated expectantly as in those allocated to primary surgery (63% [31/49] vs. 51% [19/37], P = .37). Successful completion of expectant management was associated with rates of subsequent intrauterine pregnancy similar to those of surgical treatment (including primary surgery and surgery after failure of expectant management) (65% [22/34] vs. 54% [28/52], P = .44). Women undergoing delayed surgery due to failure of expectant management had rates of subsequent intrauterine conception similar to those who underwent primary surgery (9/15 vs. 19/37, P = .79). Several anamnestic factors had a significant and adverse effect on reproductive outcome: history of infertility (P = .01), history of ectopic pregnancy (P = .02) and previous pelvic surgery (P = .001).

Expectant and surgical management of ectopic pregnancy had similar subsequent intrauterine conception rates, even when failure of expectant management led to secondary surgery. Gynecologic history can identify the subgroup of patients at higher risk of a poor reproductive outcome.