title: Unilateral Salpingectomy and Methotrexate Are Associated With a Similar Recurrence Rate of Ectopic Pregnancy in Patients Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization.
abstract: To determine whether different treatment approaches of ectopic pregnancy (EP), particularly unilateral salpingectomy and methotrexate, affect its recurrence rate in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
  
  
  
  A retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).
  
  
  
  An academic medical center.
  
  
  
  Patients with a history of a previous EP who achieved pregnancy after IVF cycles between January 2004 and August 2015 were included. The recurrence rate of EP was compared between patients who underwent different treatment approaches for a previous EP.
  
  
  
  IVF.
  
  
  
  A total of 594 patients were included. Seventeen patients had a recurrence of EP (2.9%). Patients with a history of ≥2 EPs were associated with a significantly higher recurrence rate of EP than those with 1 previous EP (8.5% vs. 1.8%; p = .01; odds ratio [OR] = 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-4.4). Patients who underwent unilateral salpingectomy (n = 245) had a comparable recurrence rate of EP after IVF with those who received methotrexate (n = 283) (3.6% vs. 2.8%; p = .5; OR = 1.3; 95% CI, 0.4-3.4). This OR remained unchanged after adjusting for patient's age, number of previous EPs, number of transferred embryos, and peak estradiol level during stimulation (adjusted OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 0.5-3.8). None of the patients who underwent bilateral salpingectomy (n = 45) or salpingostomy (n = 21) had a recurrence of EP after IVF.
  
  
  
  The recurrence rate of EP significantly correlates with the number of previous EPs. Treatment of EP with methotrexate has a comparable recurrence rate of EP after IVF with unilateral salpingectomy. Therefore, the risk of recurrence should not be a reason to favor salpingectomy over methotrexate in this population.
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robles
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Vinay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gunnala
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York. Electronic address: sdspando@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Spandorfer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D058994:Salpingectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012489:Salpingostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D008727:Methotrexate
keywords: Ectopic pregnancy; In vitro fertilization; Methotrexate; Salpingectomy