Diagnostic laparoscopy in infertility: a retrospective study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis and therapy of infertility. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Academically affiliated reproductive endocrinology practice. PATIENTS One hundred seventy patients. INTERVENTION Diagnostic/therapeutic laparoscopy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS One hundred seventy infertile patients underwent diagnostic laparoscopy between 1996 and 2000 in our clinic, and 109 of them were seen at follow-up more than 1 year after laparoscopy. Of the 109 patients, 77 (70.6%) were treated with assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer, and 32 (29.4%) were treated with conventional procedures. Of the 109 patients, 68 (62.4%), including 39 (50.6%) of the 77 treated with assisted reproductive technology and 29 (90.6%) of the 32 treated with conventional procedures, became pregnant. Of the 68 patients who became pregnant, 49 (72.1%) of them conceived within 1 year after laparoscopy. CONCLUSION Laparoscopy is an important procedure in the treatment of infertility.