Unilateral ovarian drilling in polycystic ovarian syndrome: a prospective randomized study

Ovarian drilling is a well-accepted intervention for ovulation induction in clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of unilateral and bilateral ovarian drilling by electrocautery in PCOS women. In this prospective randomized clinical study, 87 patients with ovulation failure as a result of PCOS were randomly allocated to either unilateral (group A; n = 43 patients) or bilateral (group B; n = 44 patients) laparoscopic ovarian drilling by electrocautery. The average time required for unilateral ovarian drilling was shorter than for bilateral drilling. In patients who ovulated after drilling, there was a significant fall in serum LH concentration (group A, P < 0.05, group B, P < 0.05). Ovulation, pregnancy and miscarriage rates were similar in both groups. It seems that unilateral ovarian drilling in PCOS is effective, less time-consuming and probably associated with fewer complications.