Our Office-Based Diagnostic Hysteroscopy Results of Pre-IVF Patients

Objective: To evaluate the intrauterine pathologies using office-based hysteroscopy (OH) in patients scheduled for assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Unit of Firat University Hospital, between March 2010January 2012. The 219 patients with no OH within the previous 6 months were enrolled the study with rigid hysteroscope (continous flow; 30-degree forward-oblique view) assembled in a 4-mm diameter diagnostic sheath with an atraumatic tip. After OH investigation, endometrial sampling was performed with biopsy catheter. The patients in whom the findings were normal proceeded to an IVF cycle within 1 month. Results: The procedure was succesful in 219 patients, with mean (±SD) age of 31.9 (±5.2) years, duration of infertility of 6.2 (±4.5) years and number of previous ART trials 1.6 (±1.1). The type of infertility were as follows: 150 primary (68.5%) and 69 secondary infertility (31.5%). Endometrial polyp and uterine subseptum were the major intracavitary abnormalities. Chronic endometritis and endometrial polyp were the major histopathologic abnormalities. Chronic endometritis, uterine subseptum and endometrial hyperplasia were higher in patients ≥35 years (p<0.01). There was a decrease in the pregnancy rate (40% vs 46%), implantation rate (51% vs 56%) and fertilization rate (69% vs 74%) in the patients with hysteroscopic abnormality compared to patients without abnormality respectively. Conclusion: To improve the outcome of ART cycles, OH could be performed as a routine procedure for the patients who will experience IVF treatment.