Hydrosalpinx treated with extended doxycycline does not compromise the success of in vitro fertilization

To determine if extended treatment with doxycycline before and after an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure can minimize the detrimental effect of a hydrosalpinx.

Retrospective analysis.

University IVF program.

Patients undergoing IVF, including 17 with a hydrosalpinx, 25 with adhesions or proximal tubal occlusion, and 22 with endometriosis or unexplained infertility.

Women with a documented hydrosalpinx were prescribed doxycycline 100 mg twice daily starting 1 week before expected retrieval and continued until 6 days after retrieval. No antibiotics were prescribed in the other groups.

Implantation rates and IVF outcomes.

Implantation rates were 30% for the doxycycline-treated group of patients with a hydrosalpinx, 27% for the group with tubal occlusion/adhesion, and 24% for the group with endometriosis or unexplained infertility. Eight (47%) of 17 patients with a hydrosalpinx had a live birth, compared with 11 (44%) of 25 for the group with tubal occlusion/adhesion and 12 (55%) of 22 for the group with endometriosis/unexplained infertility. There were no differences between the groups in patient age, number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, or number of blastomeres of the transferred embryos.

No detrimental effect of a hydrosalpinx was evident for patients treated with extended doxycycline. Tremendous cost savings can be realized if treatment with 2 weeks of an inexpensive antibiotic provides outcomes comparable to surgical correction of a hydrosalpinx before IVF.