Microsurgery of endometriosis in infertile patients.

From January 1973 to December 1980, 176 infertile women with endometriosis were treated with atraumatic and microsurgical techniques. None of these patients received preoperative or postoperative antigonadotropin therapy. The degree of endometriosis in these patients was classified according to the scaling point system of The American Fertility Society. After 2 years the cumulative pregnancy rate of the severe group (40%) was not different from that of the mild (43%) or moderate group (45%). It is therefore suggested that the use of microsurgical techniques can improve the pregnancy outcome in patients with severe endometriosis.