Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation does not adversely affect endometrial receptivity in in vitro fertilization cycles.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether exposure of developing endometrium to supraphysiologic E2 levels during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in IVF cycles inhibits endometrial receptivity.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of IVF-ET and ovum donation data.

SETTING

Tertiary-care teaching hospital.

PATIENT(S): Four hundred ten patients <33 years of age undergoing IVF-ET and 181 anonymous ovum donors (<33 years of age) and their associated ovum recipients.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Implantation, pregnancy, and delivery rates.

RESULT(S): Ovarian response to COH (duration of stimulation, peak E2 level, area under the curve for E2 exposure, and number of oocytes retrieved) was similar for IVF-ET patients and ovum donors. Donors were younger than IVF-ET patients (mean age, 27.5 +/- 0.2 years vs. 30.4 +/- 0.1 years). A similar number of embryos with similar number of blastomeres were transferred in IVF-ET patients and ovum recipients. The fragmentation rate at time of transfer differed slightly between groups (5.2 +/- 0.2% vs. 4.3 +/- 0.3%). Implantation, pregnancy, and delivery rates did not differ between IVF-ET patients and recipients of donor oocytes.

CONCLUSION(S): Exposure of the developing endometrium to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation during IVF cycles does not inhibit embryo implantation or affect pregnancy and delivery rates.