title: Long-term fertility after laparoscopy for endometriosis-associated pelvic pain in young adult women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the long-term fertility outcomes in young patients with endometriosis-associated pelvic pain treated with laparoscopic surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women aged 18 to 25 years who underwent laparoscopic surgery between 2000 and 2005 at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation solely to treat endometriosis-associated pelvic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients answered a telephone or mail survey questionnaire assessing fertility outcome after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight of 74 eligible patients (37.8%) were enrolled in the study. With a median (interquartile range) age of 23.5 (1.5) years at follow-up, these patients completed the telephone or postal questionnaire to assess fertility outcomes at follow-up of 102.5 (16.6) months. In most participants the diagnosis was less advanced endometriosis (stage I, 60.7%; stage II, 28.6%). Twenty women (71.4%) had at least 1 pregnancy during follow-up that resulted in a live birth, of which >80% were spontaneous without the use of assisted reproductive technologies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term pregnancy rates are excellent in young women undergoing laparoscopic surgery to treat pelvic pain. However, a future prospective study is needed to determine whether laparoscopy has any hindrance on future fertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio; Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Brittaney M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Wilson-Harris
authors.affiliation: Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nutter
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address: falcont@ccf.org.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Falcone
mesh_terms: D000291:Adnexal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Endometriosis; Fertility; Laparoscopy; Pelvic pain