How members of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Society of Reproductive Surgeons evaluate, define, and manage hydrosalpinges.

Objective: To describe the management of hydrosalpinges among Society for Reproduction Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI)/Society of Reproductive Surgeons (SRS) members.

Design: Cross-sectional survey of SREI/SRS members.

Setting: Academic and private practice-based reproductive medicine physicians.

Participant(s): A total of 442 SREI and/or SRS members.

Intervention(s): Internet-based survey.

Main Outcome Measure(s): To understand how respondents evaluate, define, and manage hydrosalpinges.

Result(s): Of 1,070 SREI and SRS members surveyed, 442 responded to all items, for a 41% response rate. Respondents represented both academic and private practice settings, and differences existed in the evaluation and management of hydrosalpinges. More than one-half (57%) perform their own hysterosalpingograms (HSGs), and 54.5% involve radiologists in their interpretation of tubal disease. Most respondents thought that a clinically significant hydrosalpinx on HSG is one that is distally occluded (80.4%) or visible on ultrasound (60%). Approximately one in four respondents remove a unilateral hydrosalpinx before controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)/intrauterine insemination (IUI) and clomiphene citrate (CC)/IUI (29.3% and 22.8%, respectively), and physicians in private practice were more likely to intervene (COH: risk ratio [RR] 1.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31-2.51; CC: RR 1.98, 95% CI 1.33-2.95). Although laparoscopic salpingectomy was the preferred method of surgical management, nearly one-half responded that hysteroscopic tubal occlusion should have a role as a primary method of intervention.

Conclusion(s): SREI/SRS members define a "clinically significant hydrosalpinx" consistently, and actual practice among members reflects American Society for Reproductive Medicine/SRS recommendations, with variation attributed to individual patient needs. Additionally, one in four members intervene before other infertility treatments when there is a unilateral hydrosalpinx present.