Journal of Ovarian Research (Feb 2020)

Live birth rate comparison of three controlled ovarian stimulation protocols for in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer in patients with diminished ovarian reserve after endometrioma cystectomy: a retrospective study

  • Feiyan Zhao,
  • Yonglian Lan,
  • Tong Chen,
  • Zhimin Xin,
  • Yu Liang,
  • Ying Li,
  • Shuyu Wang,
  • Jun Zhang,
  • Xiaokui Yang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-020-00622-x
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Background Women with endometriosis and previous cystectomy may respond less well to gonadotropin stimulation, which results in fewer oocytes retrieved and poor pregnancy outcomes. Choosing an appropriate protocol for such populations is essential. This study involved an analysis of the effect of different controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) protocols on the clinical outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) who underwent ovarian endometrioma cystectomy. Methods A total of 342 patients that underwent IVF-ET treatment at the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital from January 1, 2013 to April 30, 2018 were included in this retrospective study. The patients were distributed into three groups according to the COS protocols, namely prolonged GnRH-agonist (Group A, n = 113), GnRH-antagonist (Group B, n = 121), and long GnRH-agonist (Group C, n = 108). The clinical and laboratory parameters of the three protocols were analyzed and a logistic regression of clinical pregnancy and live births was conducted. Results There were no significant differences in the age, infertility duration, basic follicle stimulation hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), or estradiol (E2) levels as well as other baseline characteristics among groups (P > 0.05). The total gonadotrophin (Gn) dosage and duration tended to be less in the GnRH-antagonist group than in the others (P 0.05). Age had a significant effect on both clinical pregnancy and live birth. Conclusion For those DOR patients who had undergone ovarian endometriosis cystectomy, the prolonged GnRH-agonist protocol may achieve better clinical IVF-ET outcomes, but there were no significant differences from the other groups. The GnRH-antagonist protocol may reduce the cost and time of drug treatment. Age should be considered for its influence on pregnancy outcome. However, a larger sample size may be needed for further study.

Keywords