Few moments feel heavier than wondering whether motherhood is still part of your future after having surgery to remove fibroids or endometriosis. While both conditions are far more common than most people realize, any surgery that involves the reproductive organs can cause scar tissue that can get in the way of family planning.
Uterine fibroids develop in more than 70% of women by the time they reach menopause, and endometriosis affects roughly one in 10 women of reproductive age.
Modern treatment recommendations are minimally invasive surgeries that can actually protect or improve your ability to get pregnant.
Read on to learn more about pregnancy success rates after uterine surgery, how long you should wait before trying to conceive, the personal factors that shape your odds, and where to find the best minimally invasive fibroid surgeon in Los Angeles to help increase your chances of conceiving.
Pregnancy Success Rates After Fibroid or Endometriosis Surgery
After a myomectomy, the surgery that removes fibroids while leaving the uterus in place, studies report pregnancy rates ranging from 39% to 56%, and one large systematic review found that of 3,852 women who wanted to become pregnant after the surgery, 2,889 did, accounting for 3,000 pregnancies (77.9%).
For endometriosis surgery, research shows 45% to 75% of women get pregnant after surgery, with conception rates highest in the first three to six months after the procedure. The number that applies to you depends on several things, including:
- How severe your endometriosis was
- Your age
- How long you have been trying to get pregnant
- Whether you have other fertility issues
How Long Should You Wait to Try to Conceive After Surgery?
The waiting period is one of the hardest parts for women who feel ready to start a family right away. For myomectomy patients, the best gynecologic surgeon in Los Angeles recommends waiting three to six months before trying to conceive, and sometimes longer if the surgery involves deep cuts into the uterine wall.
This recovery time allows the uterus to heal and lowers the risk of complications during pregnancy. The recommendations for endometriosis surgery look different. If no work was done on the ovaries or the uterus, you can try conceiving the next cycle in many cases, but if endometriomas or fibroids were removed, the top fertility surgeon in Los Angeles usually recommends waiting three cycles to allow the ovaries and uterus to heal.
Uterine Surgeries That Can Affect Your Fertility
Not all fibroid and endometriosis procedures have the same effect on your ability to get pregnant:
- A myomectomy removes only the fibroids and leaves your uterus in place, so your menstrual period returns and you can get pregnant in the future.
- A hysterectomy removes the fibroids and your uterus, which means pregnancy is no longer possible.
- Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) or Sonata transcervical fibroid ablation are other options for treating fibroids, and they are generally not the first choice for women actively planning a pregnancy because their effects on fertility are less predictable.
The way the surgery is performed also matters. Laparoscopic and robotic procedures use small incisions and tend to leave less scar tissue than open abdominal surgery, which can support better fertility outcomes.
Factors That Influence Your Chances of Getting Pregnant After Fibroid Removal Surgery
Surgery is only one piece of the picture, and a few personal factors carry just as much weight:
- Age: Women under 35 typically have higher pregnancy rates after these procedures than women over 35, and that gap widens with each passing year.
- The severity of your condition: Research on endometriosis found that age over 35, infertility lasting more than three years, severe disease, the presence of adenomyosis, and low AMH before surgery all decrease pregnancy rate within the first postoperative year.
- AMH, or anti-Müllerian hormone: This is a marker of how many eggs you have left, and it gives your doctor a useful read on ovarian reserve. The things you can do to influence count include keeping a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, tracking ovulation, and managing stress.
Does Surgery for Fibroid or Endometriosis Increase any Risks During Future Pregnancies?
A successful pregnancy after fibroid or endometriosis surgery does come with a few risks worth understanding ahead of time:
- Uterine rupture is the most serious concern after a myomectomy, though it remains rare. Some OB/GYNs may recommend a planned cesarean section instead of vaginal delivery, especially if your procedure involved deep work on the uterine wall.
- Endometriosis surgery before pregnancy has been linked in some studies to a slightly higher chance of cesarean section, placenta praevia, preterm birth, small for gestational age, gestational hypertension, and antepartum and postpartum hemorrhage.
None of this means a healthy pregnancy is out of reach. Most women go on to deliver healthy babies, and choosing an OB/GYN who knows your surgical history makes a real difference in how that pregnancy is managed.
Finding the Best Fertility-Preserving Surgeon in Los Angeles
Dr. Sukrant Mehta is a board-certified, fellowship-trained minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon who has spent more than 15 years focused on uterus-preserving surgery. He performs robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy, robotic excision of early-stage endometriosis, hysteroscopic surgery, SONATA transcervical fibroid ablation, and vNOTES scarless surgery, with a focus on technical precision, faster recovery, and protecting your ability to grow your family.
Dr. Mehta is sought after by women with large or multiple fibroids, pelvic adhesions, and other fertility-limiting conditions that other surgeons have called too complicated for a uterus-sparing approach.
Ready to meet the best gynecological surgeon in Los Angeles for fertility-preserving surgery?
