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How can fecundity be preserved in patients undergoing pelvic surgery?

Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 5, pages 308–309 (2008)Cite this article

Preservation of sexual function is an issue for all patients who require pelvic surgery; however, fecundity is especially important for young women who have not yet considered or completed their family planning. Specifically, patients with ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) are often young women in the midst of their reproductive years who require proctocolectomies, which are associated with a high rate of postoperative infertility. Although a lot of research has been performed on fecundity since the 1990s, only limited facts are known about the causes and prevention of infertility in pelvic surgery patients.

Fecundity and fertility are scientific terms with clinical definitions. Fecundity measures the length of time required for a woman who is having unprotected intercourse to become pregnant. Fecundity is often expressed as a fecundability ratio or the probability of becoming pregnant per month of unprotected intercourse. Infertility is defined as the failure to become pregnant within a single year of unprotected sexual intercourse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. and F Michelassi is Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, SL Stein is an Assistant Professor, New York, NY, USA.,

    Sharon L Stein & Fabrizio Michelassi

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  1. Sharon L Stein
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  2. Fabrizio Michelassi
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Correspondence to Sharon L Stein.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Stein, S., Michelassi, F. How can fecundity be preserved in patients undergoing pelvic surgery?. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 5, 308–309 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep1139

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