Does the time interval between the diagnosis to hysteroscopic evacuation of retained products of conception affect reproductive outcome?

Background: Retained products of conception (RPOC) refer to the presence of placental and/or fetal tissue in the uterus following delivery, miscarriage, or termination of pregnancy. The presence of such tissue might lead to complications, which might be the culprit of secondary infertility. Although some studies have considered the management of symptomatic RPOC, there are no data regarding the management of asymptomatic, incidentally diagnosed RPOC, nor the optimal time for surgical intervention required to prevent adverse reproductive outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to examine whether the time interval between the pregnancy termination to surgical evacuation of RPOC influences the reproductive outcome in asymptomatic women.

Design: This is a retrospective cohort study, which includes women who were admitted for an elective procedure in the gynecology day-care clinic due to suspected RPOC. The diagnosis was made during patients' routine examination following either delivery or miscarriage between the years 2010 and 2018.

Setting: Records of women who were admitted to the day-care gynecology department during the years 2010-2018 for hysteroscopic removal of RPOC.

Patients: The patients were divided into three groups, according to the time from desired pregnancy to conception following the procedure (> 6; 3-6 and < 3 months). Data regarding obstetric history prior to the procedure was retrieved from patients' clinical files, while data concerning reproductive outcome following the procedure was obtained by telephone questionnaires.

Intervention: Data regarding obstetric history prior to the procedure was retrieved from patients' clinical files, while data concerning reproductive outcome following the procedure was obtained by telephone questionnaires.

Measurements: 75 patients whose reproductive outcome could be analyzed were included in the study. The time interval between the end of pregnancy and surgical intervention was analyzed as a continuous variable and was compared between the three groups, together with parameters such as age and obstetric history.

Results: There were no significant differences between the groups.

Conclusions: The main finding of the present study is that the time interval between the end of pregnancy and surgical evacuation of the asymptomatic, incidentally diagnosed RPOC, has no significant implication on patients' reproductive outcomes.