Outcome of pregnancy in IVF-ET cycle at Ramathibodi Hospital.

As assisted reproductive technology is being developed, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) are the treatments of choice for many infertility problems. The outcome of pregnancies achieved by IVF-ET is different from that of spontaneous pregnancies. In this retrospective study, the outcome of pregnancies from 400 IVF treatment cycles performed from October 1991 to October 1994 were reported. There were 80 pregnancies (20% per oocyte retrieval, 21.9% per embryo transfer) with an increased rate of abortion (30%), multiple pregnancy (20%), ectopic pregnancy (6.25%), heterotopic pregnancy (1.25%), preterm delivery (11.8%), low birth weight (35.8%) and cesarean section (62.7%). This study shows that the complication rate of pregnancies from IVF-ET cycles was higher than that found in spontaneous pregnancies. Some complications such as multiple pregnancies may be prevented by limiting the number of transferred embryos. From this study, all IVF-ET pregnancy should be considered as high risk pregnancies.

Determinants of multiple pregnancies in in vitro fertilization other than number of transferred embryos.

The aim of this study is to assess the many different parameters involved in the incidence of multiple pregnancies, such as maternal age, stimulation, endometrium, receptivity and the quality of the transferred embryos. During a 3.5 year period, 86 pregnancies were recorded in our IVF unit. A single gestational sac was identified by early ultrasonography in 67 patients, while in 19 others, multiple sacs were noted. Patient characteristics, treatment cycles and embryology results were similar in the two groups. When the number of transferred embryos was kept similar in both groups, EIR was found to be a valuable prognostic determinant for multiple pregnancies in IVF.

Prophylactic oophorectomy of benign uterine disease in premenopausal women: 11 years review.

Between 1982 and 1992, 695 consecutive abdominal hysterectomies and prophylactic oophorectomies in premenopausal women for benign uterine diseases were performed in our department. The trend of prophylactic oophorectomy has declined since 1988 to a minimum in 1990. 60 per cent were 41-45 years of age, 28 per cent were more than 46 years, 12 per cent were 36-40 years. Uterine fibroid was the most frequent indication (77.7%), followed by adenomyosis (21.0%). Ovarian histologies revealed abnormalities only in 1.3 per cent of the removed ovaries, the remainder appeared to be normal.

Two years' experience of intrauterine insemination for the treatment of infertility.

The result of a two year (1990-1991) trial of IUI is presented. Discontinuous Percoll-gradient centrifugation technic was used for motile sperm separation. In 174 couples with 610 treatment cycles, there were 49 clinical pregnancies. The pregnancy per patient was 28 per cent and the pregnancy per cycle was 8 per cent. Cycle fecundity by various factors which possibly influence the outcome were assessed. The success rate appeared to be higher in the young female age group, short duration of infertility, secondary infertility, unexplained infertility, a higher number of motile sperm inseminated and dual insemination in a cycle.