This study looked at whether using a special surgical material called expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE, brand name Gore-Tex®) could improve fertility in women who had surgery to remove endometriomas (large ovarian cysts caused by endometriosis). Endometriosis can cause scar tissue (adhesions) that may block or damage the ovaries and fallopian tubes, leading to infertility.
How was the study done?
56 women with endometriomas 3 cm or larger had surgery to remove them.
Some women chose to have their ovaries temporarily wrapped in ePTFE during surgery to help prevent scar tissue from forming.
29 women met all the study’s criteria for analysis (18 with ePTFE, 11 without).
They were followed for up to 4 years after surgery to see how many became pregnant.
What were the results?
Overall, about half of the women became pregnant after surgery.
Women who had ePTFE placed around their ovaries had higher pregnancy rates than those who did not:
All women: 85% vs. 65% after 4 years.
Women who were infertile before surgery: 83% vs. 33% after 4 years.
These differences were not statistically significant (likely due to the small sample size), but the trend was encouraging.
Most pregnancies occurred within the first 2 years after surgery.
Why is this important?
This is the first study to look at whether an adhesion-prevention material like ePTFE can directly improve pregnancy rates in women with endometriosis.
The findings suggest that ePTFE might help reduce scarring around the ovaries and increase the chance of pregnancy, especially for women who already struggled with infertility.
Larger studies are needed to confirm these results.
Bottom line:
Using ePTFE during endometrioma surgery showed a promising trend toward higher pregnancy rates, but the study was too small to prove this definitively. It points toward a possible new strategy to improve fertility for women with endometriosis.
