Background: Hysteroscopic adhesiolysis (HA) remains the mainstay of treatment for intrauterine adhesions (IUA). In cases of moderate or severe IUA, the assistance of various adjunctive aids are usually sought to improve HA's success rate. Among these, intraoperative transabdominal ultrasound (TAS) is the most common; however, it has certain limitations. Preoperative three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVUS) has been accepted as a non-invasive way to provide accurate information about the uterine cavity. This prospective, non-randomized controlled study will assess the effects of pre-operative 3D-TVUS prior to HA in improving the surgeon's intraoperative judgement.
Methods: A total of 362 patients, who met the inclusion criteria, aged between 18 and 45 years and diagnosed with moderate or severe IUA underwent HA at our hospital from March 2018 to December 2018. Participants were divided into 2 groups; the study group; n=182 performed 3D-TVUS evaluation prior to HA, and the control group; n=180 underwent HA without preoperative 3D-TVUS evaluation. The following basic information were collected prospectively for both groups: age, parity, history of abortion, degree of IUA, surgical complications and number of hysteroscopic interventions. The data obtained from 3D-TVUS in the study group was carefully studied at the preoperative stage by the operator and was integrated into intraoperative findings, further assisting with intraoperative decisions. The guiding value of preoperative 3D-TVUS for HA was evaluated by comparing and analyzing the postoperative exposure rate of clearly visible tubal ostia between the groups.
Results: Based on the basic information (P>0.05) collected preoperatively, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. Postoperatively, the study group had a better surgical success rate with a more significant AFS score reduction (4.71±2.05; P<0.0001) and better morphological restoration of the uterine cavity, with more adhesion-free uterine horns and more clearly visible fallopian tube ostia (P<0.0001) following HA.
Conclusions: This study showed that preoperative 3D-TVUS evaluation helped the hysteroscopists with their intraoperative decision-making while carrying out HA. In comparison to those who did not perform preoperative 3D ultrasound, those who underwent 3D-TVUS evaluation had a better surgical success rate in retrieving the fallopian tube ostia and the restoration of normal uterine cavity morphology.
Keywords: Preoperative three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (preoperative 3D-TVUS); hysteroscopic adhesiolysis (HA); intraoperative judgement; intrauterine adhesions (IUA); surgical success rate.
2020 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.