Hysterolaparoscopy in the Evaluation and Management of Female Infertility

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of hysterolaparoscopy in the evaluation and management of female infertility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of the 94 case files of all the patients who underwent diagnostic hysterolaparoscopy for infertility between January 2014 to June 2015 in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli. These infertile women were confirmed to have normal ovulatory cycles, hormonal assays and seminogram report. Dye studies as well as inspection for abnormal pelvic and intrauterine pathology and necessary therapeutic interventions were done during the procedure. Abnormal pelvic and intrauterine pathology by hysterolaparoscopy were categorized. RESULTS: Out of 94 cases, 53.1 % patients had primary, 17.1 % patients had secondary infertility, and 29.8 % came for tubal recanalization. As a whole pelvic pathology was confirmed in 51.7 % and intrauterine pathology in 18.1 % patients by hysterolaparoscopy. The most common laparoscopic abnormality detected was ovarian pathology (20.8 %), followed by pelvic inflammatory disease (17.5 %). Tubal block comprised 7.7 % whereas distorted uterus by fibroid in 6.6 % and pelvic endometriosis in 5.4 %. In hysteroscopy, the incidence of uterine anomaly was 13 (13.8 %). Septate uterus is the most common with a mean incidence of approximately 7 (53.8 %). CONCLUSION: Diagnostic hysterolaparoscopy is an effective diagnostic and therapeutic modality for certain significant and correctable abnormalities in pelvis, tubes and uterus which are missed by other imaging modalities.