Does Oocyte Retrieval Performance in Mono-follicular Cycles Differ by Physician Experience?

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Surgical Training
• In Vitro Fertilization

Background:

• Oocyte pick-up (OPU) is a minor surgical procedure in IVF with rare complications.
• Limited data exist on OPU training standards and proficiency assessment.
• Physician experience is a potential factor influencing OPU outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of physician experience on OPU performance in mono-follicular IVF cycles.
• To compare oocyte retrieval success rates and operative times between senior and novice physicians.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 226 mono-follicular IVF cycles.
• Comparison of OPU outcomes between 6 senior physicians (>15 years experience) and 4 novice physicians (≥30 supervised procedures).
• Key outcome measures: successful oocyte retrieval and procedure duration.

Main Results:

• Overall oocyte retrieval success rate was 79.2%.
• No significant difference in retrieval rates between senior (74.1%) and novice (80.9%) physicians (p=0.270).
• Senior physicians performed OPU significantly faster (mean difference: -117.9 s, p=0.0001).

Conclusions:

• Novice physicians demonstrate proficiency in oocyte retrieval after initial training.
• Senior physicians exhibit greater efficiency in OPU operative time.
• Periodic reassessment of OPU techniques, including operative time, is recommended for physicians post-training.