Complications and Fertility Potential Following Adhesiolysis

The presence of intrauterine adhesions and the association with secondary amenorrhea were first described by Dr. Fritsh in 1894. In 1948, Dr. Joseph G. Asherman published a series of papers describing the etiology, symptoms, imaging findings, and fertility outcomes, and the condition has been known as Asherman’s syndrome (AS) since. Asherman’s syndrome was primarily described as an outcome of trauma to the basal layer of the endometrium, with subsequent formation of fibrotic adhesions leading to either partial or complete obstruction of the cervical canal or uterine cavity resulting in menstrual abnormalities, infertility, or recurrent pregnancy loss [1]. The initial definition of AS included confirmed IUAs with clinical features of amenorrhea, infertility, or recurrent pregnancy loss; however, today the presence of IUAs regardless of additional clinical features is often referred to as AS. For many, the terminologies Asherman’s syndrome (AS), intrauterine adhesions (IUA), and intrauterine synechiae (IUS) are interchangeable.