Publication:

Reproductive outcomes after laparoscopic surgery in women with tubal infertility – a retrospective study of 136 cases at Pikine National Hospital, Senegal, 2018-2023

Background Evidence on reproductive outcomes after laparoscopic management of tubal infertility remains limited in West Africa. This study described reproductive outcomes after laparoscopic surgery for tubal infertility at Pikine National Hospital, Senegal.

Methods A retrospective descriptive and analytical study were conducted from January 2018 to December 2023. Women with documented tubal infertility who underwent laparoscopic management and had assessable reproductive follow-up were included. Women treated for ectopic pregnancy and those with incomplete clinical or follow-up data were excluded. Data were obtained from medical records and standardized telephone interviews. The primary outcome was pregnancy after surgery.

Results The study included 136 women with a mean age of 38.1±6.1 years. Primary and secondary infertility each accounted for 50.0% of cases. Chromotubation results were available for 99 women: bilateral tubal patency was observed in 41.4%, unilateral patency in 24.2%, and bilateral proximal obstruction in 33.3%. During follow-up, 37 women became pregnant, giving an overall pregnancy rate of 27.2%. Of these pregnancies, 26 (70.3%) were carried to term, six (16.2%) ended in spontaneous abortion, and five (13.5%) were ongoing at study closure. No ectopic pregnancy was recorded. Age was not significantly associated with pregnancy (p=0.384).

Conclusions More than one-quarter of women treated laparoscopically for tubal infertility subsequently achieved pregnancy. Prospective multicentre studies using standardized lesion grading and clearly defined reproductive follow-up are needed.