The effect of oral contraceptive pre-treatment in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation using GnRH antagonist on IVF-ET outcome / 대한산부인과학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Recent reports have demonstrated that GnRH antagonists can be successfully used in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for in vitro fertilization (IVF). In these antagonist stimulation cycles, oral contraceptive (OC) pretreatment was used to schedule COH. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of OC pretreatment before COH in the antagonist cycles according to the duration of OC administration in infertile patients undergoing IVF-ET. METHODS: Prospective trial was performed on a total 85 IVF cycles carried out on 85 infertile patients with tubal factor only. Eighty-five patients was allocated randomly to the short term OC user (14-21 days), long term OC user (>or=22 days) and Non-user of OC. In all patients, COH was carried out using GnRH antagonist and recombinant FSH (rFSH). RESULTS: No differences among the three groups were found in numbers of oocytes retrieved, mature oocytes, fertilized oocytes, embryos grade I/II, transferred embryos and clinical pregnancy rate. There were also no differences in total dose and duration of rFSH used for COH among three groups. CONCLUSION: Oral contraceptive pretreatment can be used successfully to schedule patients before COH in GnRH antagonist cycles. The OCs can be administered for extended period as necessary for cycle timing. However OC pretreatment in antagonists cycles does not offer any advantage in COH and pregnancy outcome.