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Updated: May 3, 2026

Surgical Techniques to Optimize Ovarian Reserve during Laparoscopic Cystectomy for Ovarian Endometrioma
Published on: January 22, 2022
Borderline ovarian tumors, fertility-sparing surgery and pregnancy outcome
A Frega1, A C Coluccia, G Di Martino
1Department of Gynecological, Obstetric and Urological Sciences, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. angelicacatalano87@hotmail.it.
Background:
Borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) represent a type of epithelial tumors having a biologic intermediate behavior between clearly malignant and straight benign tumors. Most of BOTs interest women during fertile age, for which it is necessary to consider a fertility sparing surgery.
Aim:
To evaluate the clinical aspects and pregnancy rate of women affected by borderline ovarian tumors who have undergone fertility sparing surgery.
Patients And Methods:
A study of 22 patients affected by BOTs who have been treated with a fertility sparing surgery was conducted between January 2005 and October 2011 at Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University of Rome. The patients' characteristics analyzed were: age, histological type, tumor size, adnexal surgery, pre-operative serum CA-125, diagnostic circumstances, number of patients who became pregnant and number of overall pregnancies.
Results:
Among the 22 patients treated with a fertility sparing surgery, only sixteen wanted to get pregnant. Eleven patents out of 16 accomplished it. The pregnancy rate was 68.7%.
Conclusions:
Fertility sparing surgery can be considered a safe procedure for young women affected by borderline ovarian tumors.

