The prevention of postoperative pelvic adhesions following conservative operative treatment for human infertility. A final 3-year follow-up report

A combination of Decadreon (dexamethasone) and Phenergan (promethazine) was tested in this collaborative study of 240 infertility patients as a means of preventing postoperative adhesion formation after simple pelvic surgery. 24 patients were lost to follow-up. The overall pregnancy rate among the 240 patients was 51.7% (124): 49% with primary infertility and 58% with secondary infertility conceived after surgery. 90 full-term deliveries were recorded, 27 spontaneous abortions occurred, and 7 ectopic gestations were conceived. In all, 31 cases were reinspected for various reasons after the drug treatment postsurgery; 42% showed no adhesions, 23% showed minimal adhesions, and 35% had significant adhesions. Complications coincident with use of the combined medication were seen in 2.2% (11 of 240) patients. Though this study lacked controls, the authors feel thta the use of corticosteroids postoperatively after pelvic intervention may control the numbers of adhesions which form postoperatively.