Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Endometrioma of ovary is one of the common diseases during reproductive age and the effect of laparoscopic cystectomy of endometrioma on infertility is still matter of debate. We designed this case control study to evaluate the ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation during IVF (In vitro fertilization) cycle following laparoscopic unilateral cystectomy of endometrioma.
Methods: In a case control study, we enrolled 30 women with history of unilateral laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarian endometrioma in stripping method who underwent IVF cycle in women Hospital, 2009-2012. The numbers of follicles in response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation during IVF cycle in the ovary with history of  unilateral laparoscopic cystectomy of endometrioma were compared with those from the contralateral ovary.
Results: The mean age (±SD) of patients was 32.3 (±3.4). The mean (±SD) diameter of excised ovarian endometrioma was 42.4 (±10.4) mm. Interval since ovarian surgery to induction ovulation was 2.7 (±2.6) years. Mean number of follicles in the ovary with history of unilateral laparoscopic cystectomy of endometrioma was 2.5 (±1.2) with the range of 1 to 5 and in the control ovary 3.9 (±1.4) with the range of 1 to 6. There was significant difference in the number of follicles in the ovary with laparascopic cystectomy of endometrioma compared with opposite one (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Laparoscopic cystectomy for unilateral endometrioma is associated with a reduced ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation during IVF cycle. We did not find any statistically significant difference in reduced ovarian response with regard to patients age, body mass index, size and location of the cyst, and time duration since ovarian cystectomy.