polypoid endometruim and embryo transfer
I am a 47F in preparation for a frozen embryo transfer (I keep having health issues that keep delaying the transfer).
I need advice on some recent medical issues with my uterus.
13/07/2024 there had been a suspicion of an endometrial polyp <10m with a feeder vessel but some disagreement among docs because it did not "cross the midline" and a month before the discovery a 3D SIS had come clean.
13/03/25 a TVUS after a missed period (4 weeks) showed a thickened, heterogeneous, endometrial lining (19mm) with cystic areas. A cervical polyp was also discovered.
14/03/2025 - next day - started bleeding which became quite severe. I reacted badly to the IV tranexamic acid with vomiting and convulsion-like tremors but was OK with the pills.
I had a hysteroscopy within 2 weeks during which the cervical polyp was removed but no distinct polyp was found in the uterus - only a polypoid endometrium which was biopsied.
The biopsies are clean (no atypia) and classified the uterine mass as a polyp. Bleeding has stopped. I had a very painful period after but generally OK.
My understanding is that the uterine polypoid mass was not removed (trying to track this information). When I asked for a call back, my surgeon's boss (attending/consultant) called and insisted that "the polyp" was removed so I assume he misunderstood and meant the cervical polyp. An NHS pathologist friend concluded from the biopsy and surgery report that the uterine polypoid mass was not removed, just biopsied. My NHS ObGyn consultant could not be sure - the surgery report says "Myosured" endometrium but says biopsied, rather than excised whereas it says excised for the cervical polyp. Not sure if the surgeon will remember.
The surgeon spoke to me but I was sedated and during that talk she mentioned that she would not advise embryo transfer. I asked now or ever and she said likely ever though in 6 months it may be OK but I given I am 47, likely never.
The follow up appointment saw the endometrium normal with some white area similar to 2024 summer when they saw the polyp but the consultant thought it might be due to me being 10 days into my cycle.
I have a few questions if anyone could answer:
If a polypod endometrium comes back with a polyp designation from histology does that mean that it is a sessile polyp (or polyps) rather than just uneven growth of the endometrium due to lack of enough progesterone?
Is it possible that I do have a single polyp that can be removed but it was combined with the thickened endometrium and together they yielded a polypod (uneven) endometrium?
Is the removal of sessile polyps likely to cause adhesions or scarring that may impact pregnancy more than leaving them alone?
For an embryo transfer, should they be removed? I see studies that show that removing polyps doubles chance of pregnancy in IUI (RCTs) but makes no difference in pregnancy rates (trend to increased miscarriage) in IVF and an abstract in Fertility and Sterility shows that a polypoid endometrium has no impact on pregnancy rate but higher chance of miscarriage - 4x higher. Though the numbers don't make sense - i.e. a pregnancy rate of 79.5% as reported gives 32.59 pregnancies from the sample and is quite high for non-PGT tested embryos though the abstract is old so I assume they did double-triple embryo transfers.
Posted May 5, 2025, 2:11 AM UTC