Microsurgery and in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer for infertility resulting from distal tubal lesions

The live birth rates were analyzed after 688 microsurgical operations for infertility resulting from distal tubal lesions and after 885 in vitro fertilization cycles for tubal factor infertility at the Ljubljana University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The cumulative live birth rate five years after surgery was 31% (17% cases lost to follow-up). The cumulative live birth rate after four in vitro fertilization cycles for tubal infertility was 40% (8% per treated cycle). With two options for treatment, operable cases had a better prognosis than did the inoperable ones. If pregnancy did not occur two to three years after surgery, the patients underwent in vitro fertilization. The complementary use of microsurgery and in vitro fertilization has substantially improved the prognosis for infertility resulting from distal tubal lesions.