Reproductive outcomes after hysteroscopic septoplasty: a retrospective study

Sílvia Maria Madeira Fernandes, Ana Margarida Novais Maçães, Andreia Leitão Marques, Helena Vasconcelos Barros Leite

To assess the reproductive outcomes after hysteroscopic septoplasty. A retrospective observational study was performed with analysis of the medical records of 28 women with infertility or recurrent abortions undergoing hysteroscopic septoplasty. To evaluate reproductive outcomes we consulted the medical records of our hospital and of primary health care units between septoplasty and the present or first pregnancy. Primary outcomes were pregnancy rate, newborns, and abortions after septoplasty. Uterine septum was diagnosed by 2D or 3D ultrasound and classified according to the American Fertility Society. All procedures were performed in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle using monopolar or bipolar energy and/or microscissors. To compare the reproductive outcomes before and after septoplasty we used Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 17. Fisher's exact test was considered statistically significant if p<0.05. Hysteroscopic septoplasty was performed in 20 patients (72%) with secondary infertility and in 8 patients (28%) with primary infertility. The septum was incompletely removed during the first hysteroscopy in 5 cases (18%), which required a second surgery. One case was complicated with minor uterine perforation. After hysteroscopic septoplasty, 64% of women became pregnant and 48% live neonates were delivered; 4% of the patients had a tubal pregnancy; and 19% had miscarriages. The results of this study are consistent with those described in the literature. Patients obtained a significant improvement of reproductive outcomes with a fivefold reduction in miscarriage rate after hysteroscopic septoplasty.