From the Research
For women with endometriosis-related infertility, the most effective treatment option is often a combination of medical and surgical approaches, with assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) offering the best chance of conception, as supported by the most recent study 1.
Treatment Options
- Medical approaches: hormonal medications like GnRH agonists, oral contraceptives, or progestins can help manage endometriosis symptoms but do not improve fertility and actually prevent pregnancy while in use.
- Surgical approaches: laparoscopic surgery to remove endometrial implants and adhesions can improve fertility rates, with a procedure called laparoscopic excision or ablation increasing natural conception rates by 30-40% in the first year after surgery.
- Assisted reproductive technologies: intrauterine insemination (IUI) combined with ovarian stimulation using medications like clomiphene citrate or gonadotropins may help women with minimal endometriosis, while IVF is often recommended for more severe cases or when other treatments fail.
Recent Study Findings
- A 2022 study 2 found that co-treatment of gonadotropin and letrozole in infertile women with endometriosis can significantly reduce the gonadotropin dosage and estradiol level with the same pregnancy rates.
- A 2024 study 1 provides evidence-based management recommendations for patients with endometriosis undergoing assisted conception, highlighting the importance of individualized treatment approaches based on the woman's age, endometriosis severity, duration of infertility, and other fertility factors.
Key Considerations
- The choice of treatment depends on the woman's age, endometriosis severity, duration of infertility, and other fertility factors that may be present.
- IVF success rates for endometriosis patients are slightly lower than for other infertility causes but still offer a good chance of pregnancy, especially for younger women.
- The treatment options for women desiring pregnancy are more limited and most often include surgery to improve pain symptoms and increase the chances of conception, as well as assisted reproductive technologies like IVF.