Fertility after conservative treatment of endometriosis

The charts of 128 infertile patients with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis for the seven years ending in June 1980 were reviewed. The patients were staged according to the American Fertility Society classification. All couples underwent semen analysis, endometrial biopsy, postcoital testing and hysterosalpingography. Life-table analysis was used to evaluate the different treatment modalities. An unexpected finding was that 9 of 17 patients (52%) who declined therapy after laparoscopy conceived, for a monthly fecundity of 0.03. The most common associated infertility factor was a poor postcoital test (in 23%). Fourteen of the 29 patients with a poor postcoital test (48%) conceived after treatment of their endometriosis, for a monthly fecundity of 0.02.