In vitro fertilization: effective alternative to surgery for distal tubal occlusion

A total of 512 consecutive patients with tubal infertility underwent ovarian hyperstimulation for the purpose of IVF-ET, resulting in a total of 829 attempts and 890 transfers (fresh and cryo). Overall, 218 clinical pregnancies were achieved, of which 114 (52.3%) resulted in live births, and 38 (17.4%) were ongoing (greater than or equal to 20 weeks of gestation) at the conclusion of the study. The total live birth and ongoing pregnancy rate per patient was 29.7% (three patients conceived twice). The probability for a patient to achieve a live or ongoing pregnancy was 42.7% after three attempts and 85.3% after six attempts. We conclude that IVF-ET using contemporary technology offers an effective alternative to surgery for tubal obstruction.