Background
Results
Third-party egg donation cycles: fresh vs. frozen
Fresh Cycles | Frozen Cycles | P-value/adjusted | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of cycles | 127 | 193 | |
Age (years) | 45.6 ± 5.1 | 45.7 ± 5.9 | 0.9330 |
AMH (ng/mL) | 0.4 ± 0.5 | 0.6 ± 0.8 | 0.0775 |
Highest FSH (mIU/mL) | 27.5 ± 31.0 | 24.5 ± 26.9 | 0.4213 |
Number embryos transferred | 1.6 ± 0.6 | 1.7 ± 0.6 | 0.2208 |
Pregnancies (n/%) | 46 (36.2%) | 56 (29.0%) | 0.1760/0.2487 |
Live births (n/%) | 34 (73.9%) | 42 (75.0%) | 0.9003/0.1735 |
Miscarriages (n/%) | 12 (26.1%) | 14 (25.0%) | 0.9003/0.1735 |
Patient characteristics
IVF outcomes
Autologous non-donor cycles: fresh vs. frozen
Fresh Cycles | Frozen Cycles | P-value/adjusted | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of cycles | 741 | 217 | |
Age (years) | 41.2 ± 4.8 | 39.5 ± 5.9 | < 0.0001 |
AMH (ng/mL) | 1.2 ± 1.7 | 2.4 ± 2.6 | < 0.0001 |
Highest FSH (mIU/mL) | 14.8 ± 12.7 | 11.5 ± 7.8 | 0.0003 |
Number embryos transferred | 2.2 ± 1.2 | 2.1 ± 1.0 | 0.2536 |
Pregnancies (n/%) | 82 (11.1%) | 42 (19.4%) | 0.0014/0.2991 |
Live births (n/%) | 53 (64.3%) | 26 (61.9%) | 0.7648/0.5189 |
Miscarriages (n/%) | 29 (35.4%) | 16 (28.1%) | 0.7648/0.5189 |
Patient characteristics
IVF outcomes
Autologous non-donor cycles: fresh vs. frozen cycles in favorably selected patients
Fresh Cycles | Frozen Cycles | P-value/adjusted | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of cycles | 143 | 217 | |
Age (years) | 37.1 ± 4.9 | 39.5 ± 5.9 | 0.0001 |
AMH (ng/mL) | 2.4 ± 2.2 | 2.4 ± 2.6 | 0.8457 |
Highest FSH (mIU/mL) | 10.9 ± 11.2 | 11.5 ± 7.8 | 0.5717 |
Number embryos transferred | 2.3 ± 1.0 | 2.1 ± 1.0 | 0.0874 |
Pregnancies (n/%) | 45 (31.5%) | 42 (19.4%) | 0.0086/0.0451 |
Miscarriages (n/%) | 14 (31.1%) | 16 (28.1%) | 0.4934/0.4693 |
Fresh Cycles | Frozen Cycles | P-value/adjusted | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of cycles | 598 | 217 | |
Age (years) | 42.2 ± 4.2 | 39.5 ± 5.9 | < 0.0001 |
AMH (ng/mL) | 0.9 ± 1.4 | 2.4 ± 2.6 | < 0.0001 |
Highest FSH (mIU/mL) | 15.8 ± 12.9 | 11.5 ± 7.8 | < 0.0001 |
Number embryos transferred | 2.2 ± 1.2 | 2.1 ± 1.0 | 0.3874 |
Pregnancies (n/%) | 37 (6.2%) | 42 (19.4%) | < 0.0001/0.0028 |
Live births (n/%) | 22 (59.5%) | 26 (61.9%) | 0.8242/0.4921 |
Miscarriages (n/%) | 15 (40.5%) | 16 (28.1%) | 0.8242/0.4921 |
Patient characteristics
IVF outcomes
Discussion
Best prognosis patients: third-party egg donation cycles; fresh vs. frozen
Autologous non-donor cycles: fresh vs. frozen
Autologous non-donor cycles: fresh vs. frozen cycles in good-, intermediate- and poor-prognosis patients
Limitations and conclusions
Methods
Participants
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(i) Here we compared IVF cycle outcomes in 127 infertile women who had fresh embryos transferred, produced from young anonymous egg donors and, therefore, represented best-prognosis patients, to 193 infertile women who had frozen-thawed embryos transferred, produced with oocytes from young donors (Table 1). Due to the very advanced ages in both recipient groups mandating avoidance of multiple pregnancies, almost all transfers were elective single embryo transfers. This model, thus, reflected EB in best-prognosis patients.
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(ii) Here we compared outcomes in 741 fresh and 217 frozen embryo transfers, produced with autologous oocytes of infertility patients (Table 2) and, because of younger ages, numbers of transferred embryos were less restricted; small egg and embryo yields due to LFOR, however, still limited transferred embryos to mostly two. This model, thus, evaluated EB in average-prognosis infertility.
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(iii & iv) Here we selected a favorable-prognosis group of 143 women from among above 741 unselected women and compared those two groups (Table 3). In addition, we also compared the remaining 598 unselected women to the same group of 217 frozen autologous IVF cycles, also used in the second investigation (Table 4). The selected sub-group of 143 prognostically favorable patients was defined by their ability to produce larger embryo yields in fresh IVF cycles, allowing for cryopreservation of extra-numeral embryos. This selection criterion was based on the reported observation that, even in poor-prognosis patients, after female age, the number of transferrable embryos in an IVF cycle represents the second-most important predictor of IVF success [13].