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Pregnancy outcomes after fallopian tube recanalization: oil-based versus water-soluble contrast agents
Anil B M Pinto1, David M Hovsepian, Saranya Wattanakumtornkul
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Purpose:
To determine the pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing fallopian tube recanalization (FTR) with use of oil-based versus water-soluble contrast agents.
Materials And Methods:
Ninety-three patients with unilateral or bilateral proximal tubal occlusion confirmed by hysterosalpingography or laparoscopy underwent FTR with use of water-soluble contrast material alone (n = 50) or also had an oil-based agent injected into each tube after recanalization (n = 43). Pregnancy rates and outcomes of the two groups were studied retrospectively.
Results:
With respect to differences between groups, only the body mass index proved to be a significant predictor (oil, 28.4; water, 24.7; P =.008). Mean age, duration of infertility, type of infertility, and initial diagnosis were comparable. There was a weak trend toward a higher pregnancy rate in the oil-based contrast material group, but it was not significant (P =.64). The average time to pregnancy was 4.4 months with use of oil-based contrast material, compared to 7.7 months with use of only water-soluble contrast material (P =.03).
Conclusion:
The use of an oil-based agent had little effect on the rate of conception, but time to conception was reduced by more than 3 months.
