Effect of Ovarian Torsion on Fertility

Abstract

Ovarian torsion (OT) accounts for two to five percent of all gynecological emergencies. Clinical evidence indicates that 90% of patients who had surgical detorsion have functioning ovaries, however, there is a lack of information on the effect of OT on fertility in women who have been identified and treated for OT. Objectives: To tackle gaps in research on how fertility is affected in women who have had ovarian torsion surgery, based on imaging results, intraoperative findings, and operation type. Methods: A combination of retrospective and prospective studies was carried out on patients who were treated for ovarian torsion at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study was carried out through information collected from hospital records of patients who underwent ovarian torsion treatment during the period from January 2010 until March 2020. Patients who fulfilled the eligibility criteria were contacted by telephone, and information was collected regarding pregnancy (fertility). In this study, 20 patients who fulfilled the eligibility criteria were included in the analysis. Results: The follow-up data on the patient’s fertility showed that 14 (70%) women got pregnant and two patients who were already pregnant at the age of presentation of OT underwent term delivery. Conclusions: The study findings showed that ovarian torsion management irrespective of the type of treatment approach and procedure didn't significantly affect fertility, where 17 (85%) of patients showed a positive outcome on fertility. However, surgeons need to follow a more conservative approach by preserving both ovaries as much as possible.