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Do Follicles of Obese Patients Yield Competent Oocytes/Embryos?
Raoul Orvieto1,2,3, Aya Mohr-Sasson4,5, Adva Aizer4
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel, raoul.orvieto@sheba.health.gov.il.
Aim:
This study evaluated the competency of oocytes/embryos derived from follicles >15 mm in diameter from obese patients, compared with nonobese patients.
Patients And Methods:
A cohort study was conducted in a single tertiary medical center between July 2018 and May 2019. Before ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration, follicles were measured and those with maximal dimensional size >15 mm were tracked. Microscopic examination of the follicular aspirates was performed by an embryologist. Each follicle aspirated was evaluated for oocyte maturation, oocyte fertilization, and embryo quality.
Results:
457 follicles were measured: 380 (83.2%) in nonobese and 77 (16.8%) in obese patients. No in-between group differences were observed in the causes of infertility, patients' demographics, or ovarian stimulation characteristics. Oocytes were achieved during aspiration from 277 (72.8%) and 54 (70.0%) of the nonobese and obese groups, respectively (p = 0.67). No in-between group differences were observed in fertilization (2PN/oocyte), top quality embryo (TQE) per zygote (2PN), and TQE per follicle.
Conclusion:
Oocyte recovery rate from follicles >15 mm is unrelated to patients' BMI. Moreover, the oocytes recovered from obese patients are competent yielding comparable zygote and TQE per follicle/oocyte, compared with nonobese patients. Further investigation is required to strengthen this finding.
