Ovulation induction using laparoscopic ovarian drilling in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: predictors of success

BACKGROUND: Although laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) has been widely used to induce ovulation in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), predicting the clinical response to this treatment remains to be elucidated further. This study was carried out to identify factors that may help to predict the outcome of LOD. METHODS: This retrospective study included 200 patients with anovulatory infertility due to PCOS who underwent LOD between 1990 and 2002. The influence of the various patients' pre-operative characteristics on the ovulation and pregnancy rates after LOD was evaluated. In addition, women were divided into two or three categories according to the severity of each of the various clinical and biochemical parameters of PCOS. The success rates were compared between the categories of each factor using contingency table analyses. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of success of LOD. RESULTS: Women with body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to35 kg/m(2), serum testosterone concentration greater than or equal to4.5 nmol/l, free androgen index (FAI) greater than or equal to15 and/or with duration of infertility >3 years seem to be poor responders to LOD. In LOD responders, serum LH levels >10 IU/l appeared to be associated with higher pregnancy rates. CONCLUSION: Marked obesity, marked hyperandrogenism and/or long duration of infertility in women with PCOS seem to predict resistance to LOD. High LH levels in LOD responders appear to predict higher probability of pregnancy.