Video Website powered by Einstein IndustriesThe Fertility Institute of New Orleans

DR. SISSY SARTOR: So polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS, which is how I will refer to it from here on out, is an ovulatory dysfunction that affects approximately 10% of patients in the reproduction age group. We often spend time reviewing lifestyle management issues such as exercise, healthy dietetic management, and some patients we will add medications that help manage insulin resistance, which is often a component of this syndrome.

Ultimately, though, for most patients we do end up bringing in an ovulatory medication. The success rate with clomiphene citrate therapy is approximately 10% per cycle attempt. The success rate with the gonadotrophins is approximately 20% per cycle attempt. Whether or not we add intrauterine insemination to the therapy in part depends upon the health of the husband's sperm as well as the number of cycles that they have been attempting, and whether or not the sperm are surviving in the cervical mucus at the time of ovulation induction.

The lifetime management of this syndrome is very important. We now know that many of these patients do have insulin resistance, which means that they will have a significant likelihood of developing diabetes as they age. So we do, again, spend time going over lifestyle management, exercise, healthy eating habits.