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Treatment of endometriosis by carbon dioxide laser during gamete intrafallopian transfer
1Center for Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, Beverly Hills, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine.
Background:
Endometriosis is often encountered during laparoscopy performed for gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) procedures.
Study Design:
A prospective randomized study involving 44 patients with endometriosis (American Fertility Society (AFS) stages I through IV) was conducted. All patients underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation followed by laparoscopic GIFT procedures. Twenty-one patients had no carbon dioxide laser vaporization of endometriosis and twenty-one patients did receive laser vaporization. Two patients could not have GIFT performed due to tubal and peritubal disease.
Results:
The results showed a clinical pregnancy rate of 38.1 percent in the treatment groups versus 47.9 percent in the control group (not significant, Chi square, and Student's test). The live birth rate from both groups was identical, at 23.8 percent per group.
Conclusions:
We conclude that CO2 laser vaporization of AFS stages I to IV endometriosis at the time of the GIFT procedure does not significantly affect either the clinical pregnancy rate or live birth rate from this form of assisted reproductive technology.