Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Any comparative study, where patients with hydrosalpinx were categorised separately, was included in the review. Before and after studies were excluded.
Specific interventions included in the review
IVF (with the inclusion of frozen embryos).
Participants included in the review
Women with tubal infertility. Women with uni- or bilateral hydrosalpinx are compared to those without hydrosalpinx. The diagnosis of hydrosalpinx was made either by ultrasound alone, or by hysterosalpingography and/or laparoscopy, or by any one of these three examinations. Patients treated surgically for hydrosalpinx were excluded. The participants included in the review were mainly greater than 40 years of age (age was not incited in one study and one study included patients who were 24 to 44 years of age).
Outcomes assessed in the review
Pregnancy rate (number of pregnancies achieved per number of embryos transferred); implantation rate (number of developing gestational sacs observed upon ultrasound divided by the number of embryos transferred); delivery rate (number of live deliveries per transfer); early pregnancy loss, which included ectopic pregnancies, biochemical pregnancies, and early spontaneous abortion.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors do not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the authors performed the selection.