OBJECTIVE: To assess whether there is a difference in the ongoing pregnancy rate after transferring frozen-thawed embryos in natural cycles with spontaneous LH-P rise compared with natural cycles controlled by hCG for final oocyte maturation and ovulation. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENT(S): A total of 168 patients were assigned randomly to undergo frozen ETon day 3 from October 2007 until November 2008. Finally, analysis was performed in 124 patients; 61 belonged to the spontaneous LH group and 63 to the hCG group. INTERVENTION(S): In the spontaneous LH group the transfer was planned 5 days after the LH surge. In the hCG group, the cryopreserve ET was planned 5 days after the administration of 5000 IU of hCG, when an endometrial thickness of ≥7 mm and a follicle of ≥17 mm were present on ultrasound examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Ongoing pregnancy rate. RESULT(S): The study was terminated early, when a prespecified interim analysis found a significantly higher ongoing pregnancy rate in the spontaneous LH group as compared with the hCG group (31.1% vs. 14.3%; difference 16.9%, 95% confidence interval 4.4%-28.8%). CONCLUSION(S): The results suggest the superiority of the natural cycle as compared with the natural cycle controlled by hCG administration in cryothawed ET cycles.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether there is a difference in the ongoing pregnancy rate after transferring frozen-thawed embryos in natural cycles with spontaneous LH-P rise compared with natural cycles controlled by hCG for final oocyte maturation and ovulation. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENT(S): A total of 168 patients were assigned randomly to undergo frozen ET on day 3 from October 2007 until November 2008. Finally, analysis was performed in 124 patients; 61 belonged to the spontaneous LH group and 63 to the hCG group. INTERVENTION(S): In the spontaneous LH group the transfer was planned 5 days after the LH surge. In the hCG group, the cryopreserve ET was planned 5 days after the administration of 5000 IU of hCG, when an endometrial thickness of ≥7 mm and a follicle of ≥17 mm were present on ultrasound examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Ongoing pregnancy rate. RESULT(S): The study was terminated early, when a prespecified interim analysis found a significantly higher ongoing pregnancy rate in the spontaneous LH group as compared with the hCG group (31.1% vs. 14.3%; difference 16.9%, 95% confidence interval 4.4%-28.8%). CONCLUSION(S): The results suggest the superiority of the natural cycle as compared with the natural cycle controlled by hCG administration in cryothawed ET cycles.
Authors: Eun Mi Chang; Ji Eun Han; You Shin Kim; Sang Woo Lyu; Woo Sik Lee; Tae Ki Yoon Journal: J Assist Reprod Genet Date: 2011-01-13 Impact factor: 3.412