Summary
- Medical therapy alone does not appear to improve fertility in endometriosis.
- Surgical treatment of endometriosis improves natural fertility, particularly in lower-stage endometriosis.
- EFI is a useful tool to predict postoperative natural fertility and assess the need for IVF.
- Despite advanced endometriosis reducing IVF outcomes, surgery or medical pretreatment to increase IVF success remains unproven.
Dr. Trolice is director of The IVF Center in Winter Park, Fla., and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Central Florida, Orlando.