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A comparison of IVF outcomes transferring a single ideal blastocyst in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and normal ovulatory controls

  • Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the effects PCOS on live birth rates when transferring a single fresh ideal blastocyst.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study performed at the university-affiliated reproductive center. Women with PCOS and a control group of normal ovulatory women who underwent their first fresh embryo transfer with single ideal grade blastocyst were included in the study. Demographic, stimulation information and pregnancy outcomes were collected and analysed. The primary outcome was live birth rates, and secondary outcomes included pregnancy and clinical pregnancy rates.

Results

71 Women with PCOS and 272 normal ovulatory controls underwent their first embryo transfer and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. PCOS patient were younger (31.0 ± 3.7 vs. 33.1 ± 3.2, p = 0.0001), with higher AFC (40.0 ± 9.3 vs. 13.3 ± 4.6, p = 0.0001), required lower dose of gonadotropins to stimulate (1198 ± 786 vs. 1891 ± 1224, p = 0.0001), and had higher serum testosterone levels (2.3 ± 0.7 vs. 1.1 ± 0.3, p = 0.0001). No significant difference was found between the two groups regarding the number of previous pregnancies, the number of previous full-term pregnancies, the level of basal serum FSH, estradiol level at triggering and the BMI. When compared by Chi squared testing pregnancy rates, clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates did not differ. However, when controlling (with multivariate stepwise logistic regression) for confounders, live birth rates were lower among the women with PCOS (p = 0.035, CI: 0.18−0.92).

Conclusion

After controlling for confounders, when transferring a fresh single ideal blastocyst, live birth rates were lower among the women with PCOS than normal ovulatory controls.

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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. NS: Manuscript writing. SA: Data collection. TA: Data collection. GS: Manuscript editing. AV-P: Manuscript editing, Data analysis. SYD: Data analysis. ST: Data collection and management, Manuscript editing. W-YS:Project development. MHD:Project development, Data analysis and Manuscript editing.

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Correspondence to Naama Steiner.

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The authors disclose no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee (Ethics approval was obtained from our institution study code 5969). And with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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No informed consent given a retrospective study.

Capsule

Transferring a fresh single ideal blastocyst to women with PCOS results in lower live birth rates compared to normal controls.

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Steiner, N., Ates, S., Shaulov, T. et al. A comparison of IVF outcomes transferring a single ideal blastocyst in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and normal ovulatory controls. Arch Gynecol Obstet 302, 1479–1486 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-020-05699-9

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