[IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF) TREATMENTS IN MACCABI HEALTHCARE SERVICES 2015-2020]

Previously, we have summarized IVF treatment outcomes for the years 2007-2014. In 2014, the Ministry of Health (MOH) recommended that infertile patients above 39 years of age can be offered IVF as a first line treatment, given the natural age-related decrease in ovarian reserve.

The purpose of the current publication is to summarize IVF treatment outcomes for the years 2015-2020, and to explore possible changes in IVF treatments following the MOH statement.

IVF treatments and live birth data were collected from Maccabi Healthcare Services' fertility treatments registry. We have included only autologous fresh and frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles. A successful treatment cycle was defined if a live birth was recorded between 6 to 10 months of its initiation.

Mean patients' age increased from 36.2 years in 2011 to 37.5 years in the 6 years surveyed (2015-2020). While the number of fresh cycles was stable, the number of FET cycles increased from 4,507 in 2015 to 6,795 in 2020. The percentage of cycles performed in private hospitals increased gradually from 72% in 2015 to 77% in 2020. The number of patients over 40 years of age increased from 3,204 in 2011, to 3,648 in 2014, and to 3,915 in 2020.

The total number of IVF cycles increased gradually from 2015 to 2020, mainly due to significant increase in FET cycles. The continued increase in mean patients' age may reflect the change in MOH recommendations.