Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026
Fertility Preservation in Patients with Severe Ovarian Dysfunction
Published on: March 25, 2021
Oophoropexy: a relevant role in preservation of ovarian function after pelvic irradiation
Monica Terenziani1, Luigi Piva, Cristina Meazza
1Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy. monica.terenziani@istitutotumori.mi.it
Objective:
To report on our experience with girls and young women who received treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma, underwent prior oophoropexy to preserve their ovarian function, and subsequently gave birth.
Design:
Retrospective monoinstitutional evaluation.
Setting:
National Cancer Institute.
Patient(S):
Eleven girls given treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma and undergoing bilateral ovarian transposition at a median age of 13 years.
Intervention(S):
The ovaries were positioned behind the uterus by the general surgeon.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Fourteen pregnancies were recorded among these 11 women, with 12 live births (1 twin) and 3 miscarriages.
Result(S):
None of these women needed the ovaries to be relocated, and none of them resorted to artificial insemination. Their median age at the time of first pregnancy was 31 years, and the median time elapsing since ovarian transposition was 14 years.
Conclusion(S):
This series confirms that oophoropexy can preserve ovarian function and enable future pregnancy. We encourage pediatric oncologists, surgeons, and radiotherapists to bear this option in mind when considering female patients for pelvic irradiation.
Related Concept Videos
02:07Oogenesis
01:22Oogenesis
Each primary oocyte is surrounded by a layer of pre-granulosa cells, forming what is known...