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Is blastocyst transfer useful as an alternative treatment for patients with multiple in vitro fertilization failures?
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. 20037, USA.
Objective:
To determine whether blastocyst transfer is of benefit to patients with multiple IVF failures.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Setting:
The George Washington University Medical Center.
Patient(S):
Patients undergoing IVF between October 1, 1997, and November 30, 1998, who had previously undergone three or more unsuccessful IVF cycles. Patients who had at least three embryos at the 8- to 12-cell stage available on day 3 were eligible for the study.
Intervention(S):
Patients were given the option of day 3 ET (group A) or blastocyst transfer (group B).
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Blastocyst-formation rate, clinical pregnancy rate (PR) per transfer, and implantation rate per transfer.
Result(S):
Groups A and B were similar in terms of age, the number of previous failed IVF cycles, fertilization rate, and the number of fertilized oocytes per cycle. The blastocyst-formation rate was 51.0%. Clinical pregnancy and implantation rates per transfer were statistically significantly higher in the blastocyst-transfer group. There were no multiple pregnancies after blastocyst transfer.
Conclusion:
Blastocyst transfer increases implantation rates and PRs in patients with multiple failed IVF cycles, without increasing the risk of multiple pregnancy.
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