Periovarian adhesions following ovarian wedge resection or laparoscopic biopsy

The purpose of this paper is to describe the formation of periovarian adhesions after ovarian bilateral wedge resection or laparoscopic biopsy. Twelve patients with polycystic ovaries and infertility had bilateral ovarian wedge resection and second-look laparoscopy after a mean of 33 months. On the other hand, twenty-four patients with various menstrual disorders had laparoscopic ovarian biopsy and subsequent second-look after a mean of 8.8 months. Ninety-two per cent of the patients who had wedge resection had some periovarian adhesions, and in three cases the adhesions were extensive enough to produce mechanical infertility. Pregnancy occurred in four patients despite the presence of filmy or moderate adhesions. The patients who had laparoscopic ovarian biopsy were found to be free of periovarian adhesions during the second-look ovarian visualization. We conclude that ovarian resection should be reserved for nonresponders to a nonsurgical approach of anovulation, and ovarian biopsy when properly done is not followed by periovarian adhesions.