Selective follicular reduction: what to do with the oocytes?

To investigate the possible benefits of in vitro fertilization (IVF) of oocytes retrieved during selective follicular reduction of supernumerary follicles in non-IVF cycles.

Selective follicular reduction of supernumerary follicles was used to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and multiple pregnancies in gonadotropin-stimulated cycles. We analyzed the data of 13 cycles (13 women) retrospectively.

Three pregnancies occurred in these 13 cycles (23%), one after intra-uterine insemination and two after timed coitus. In all cycles, oocytes were retrieved, and in 10 cycles fertilization was achieved (77%); in 6 cycles cryo-preservation was successful (46%) and in 3 cycles embryo transfer (ET) was performed (23%). All embryos were of poor quality and no pregnancies occurred after ET of frozen-thawed embryos. The diagnostic value of fertilization failure seems to be low, since one of the patients who failed to show fertilization became spontaneously pregnant afterward.

Based on our observations, the beneficial effect of IVF/cryopreservation during selective follicular reduction appears questionable.