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Published on: February 28, 2014
Assisted reproduction outcomes after embryo transfers requiring a malleable stylet
Gian Mario Tiboni1, Enrica Concetta Colangelo, Emiliana Leonzio
1Unità di Procreazione Medicalmente Assistita, Dipartimento di Medicina e Scienze dell'Invecchiamento, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università, G. d'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, Ospedale, Bernabeo, Ortona, Chieti, Italy. tiboni@unich.it
Objective:
This retrospective case-control study was undertaken to assess the impact of a malleable stylet application on embryo transfer (ET) outcome.
Methods:
The Wallace malleable stylet was used when the soft inner catheter could not negotiate the internal os during ultrasound-guided ET. Patients having an age ≤37 years, with three embryos replaced were included in the analysis. Implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were the main outcome measures.
Results:
The Wallace malleable stylet was applied in 164 (29.6%) of the 553 ETs evaluated. Implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate showed a 5.6% (19.4% vs. 13.8%), a 10.8% (41.9% vs. 31.1%) and a 9.9% (37.3% vs. 27.4%) absolute difference, respectively, in favor of ETs not requiring the stylet. These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
ETs requiring stylet are associated with lower implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates.
