Objective: To show an external validation of the Endometriosis Fertility Index (EFI) and to observe cumulated pregnancy rates after infertility management combining surgery and assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
Design: Observational study from January 2004 to December 2012.
Setting: Tertiary-care university hospital and ART center.
Patient(s): Four hundred twelve infertile and endometriotic patients after laparoscopic surgery.
Intervention(s): Surgical diagnosis and treatment followed by spontaneous fertility or ART management.
Main outcome measure(s): Spontaneous pregnancy rates and cumulative (spontaneous and ART) pregnancy rates according to the EFI.
Result(s): A significant relationship between EFI and spontaneous pregnancy rates was observed at 12 months (P=.001). The least function score and complete removal of endometriotic lesions and pelvic adhesions were significantly associated with spontaneous pregnancy (P=.006). Cumulative pregnancy rate at 18 months was 78.8%. ART benefits for pregnancy rates were higher for patients with poor EFI.
Conclusion(s): External validation of the EFI in a French population was demonstrated. Combining surgery for endometriosis and ART led to a 78.8% pregnancy rate at 18 months after surgery.
Keywords: ART; Endometriosis; fertility; index; laparoscopy; pregnancy.
Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.