AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF DIAGNOSTIC HYSTEROLAPAROSCOPY FOR EVALUATION OF INFERTILITY AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

• Mathe Anusha,*  
• Kala Katti,  
• Nagaveni Subbarayappa

Abstract

Background: Infertility is an illness recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that refers to the inability to achieve a clinical pregnancy after engaging in regular, unprotected sexual intercourse for a period of 12 months or more. The incidence of primary infertility in India ranges from 3.9% to 16.8%. Hysteroscopy has emerged as a crucial technique for diagnosing infertility, providing a direct view of the uterine chamber to detect any possible abnormalities. The objective of this research is to analyse the use of diagnostic hysterolaparoscopy (DHL) in the evaluation of infertility. Methods: This research was a retrospective observational study that included 150 female patients who had a previous history of infertility. The study was done from May 2022 to September 2023. Information on the social and demographic characteristics of individuals and their medical history pertaining to infertility were collected by conducting interviews using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. Every participant took Dual-Hemisphere Language testing, and the gathered data were organised in Microsoft Excel. The significance threshold was established at 5% with a significance level of α = 0.05. Results: Out of the 150 patients that received DHL, 89 (59.33%) had primary infertility, whereas 61 (40.67%) had secondary infertility. Laparoscopy detected abnormalities in 35 (39.3%) of the individuals with primary infertility and 26 (42.6%) of the cases with secondary infertility. Abnormalities were identified during hysteroscopy in 12 (13.4%) of the individuals with main infertility and in 6 (9.83%) of the cases with secondary infertility. The prevalent abnormalities detected during hysteroscopy were uterine synechiae, fibroids, and uterine septa. The incidence of tubal obstructions was higher in the main infertility group compared to the secondary infertility group. Conclusion: Diagnostic hysterolaparoscopy (DHL) is a very successful method for assessing infertility, namely in identifying adnexal adhesions, endometriosis, and uterine septa. In addition, DHL has the ability to detect several structural abnormalities in the uterus, fallopian tubes, and pelvis, which may assist in formulating suitable treatment strategies.

Keywords

Infertility; Diagnostic Hysterolaparoscopy; Laparoscopy.