GnRH agonist administration as luteal support on the transfer day of single blastocyst in dual-triggered cycles.

OBJECTIVES: Luteal phase support with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) has been considered in terms of its potential beneficial effects on in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles. In our study, we assessed the effectiveness of single-dose GnRH-a administration in dual-triggered cycles on pregnancy outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty women who underwent intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle and had fresh blastocyst transfer were divided into two groups in terms of luteal phase support. The study group (Group A) consisted of patients (n = 40) who received a single-dose GnRH-a injection (0.1 mg of triptorelin acetate) subcutaneously 6 days after oocyte retrieval in addition to 600 mg daily of micronised progesterone, and the control group (Group B) comprised of patients (n = 40) taking 600 mg micronised progesterone daily from the first day after oocyte retrieval. GnRH-a and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; dual trigger) were administered to all patients. Comparison of the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates was our main goal. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of ß-hCG positivity rates, clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates (p value for beta-hCG = 0.25, clinical pregnancy = 0.80, live birth = 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that in dual triggered cycles administration of a single dose of GnRH-a on the transfer day of a single blastocyst in addition to routine luteal phase support with progesterone does not statistically increase implantation, clinical pregnancy or live birth rates.

Could laparoscopic cystectomy improve intrauterine insemination with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation outcomes in women with endometrioma?

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the effects of laparoscopic cystectomy of endometriomas on intrauterine insemination with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH + IUI) success in women with the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study with endometrioma patients having at least one patent fallopian tube. The study group consisted of 57 infertile patients with a history of laparoscopic cystectomy who underwent 83 COH + IUI cycles. The control group consisted of 88 patients with endometrioma who underwent 161 COH + IUI cycles without surgery. RESULTS: The total number of antral follicles was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group (10.1 ± 5.1 vs 11.9 ± 5.0; p = 0.008). No significant difference was observed in the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates per cycle ((9.6% vs 7.6%; p=0.7175 OR: 1.195% CI: 0.6-2.1) and (7.2% vs 6.2%; p = 0.9544 OR: 1.1 95% CI: 0.5-2.1), respectively) between the operated and non-operated groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study show that the presence of an endometrioma with at least one patent fallopian tube does not require any cystectomy before COH+IUI treatment because no improvement was observed in the treatment outcomes of the patients who underwent preceding surgery. We conclude that an operation may be taken into consideration when malignancy cannot be ruled out or severe pelvic pain related to endometrioma cannot be relieved.

Evaluation of the selected parameters of the fetal diastolic functions in normally grown or macrosomic fetuses of gestational diabetic mothers with poor glycaemic control.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether the third trimester fetal cardiac diastolic function measured by selected conventional Doppler indices is affected in appropriate-for-gestational-age or macrosomic fetuses of gestational diabetic mothers with poor glycaemic control. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 93 pregnant women divided into two groups. Group 1 included 45 appropriate-for-gestational-age or macrosomic fetuses from gestational diabetic mothers with poor glycaemic control (study group). Group 2 included 48 appropriate-for-gestational-age fetuses from gestational age-matched healthy mothers (control group). Functional fetal cardiac parameters and fetoplacental Doppler parameters were measured. Data were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Maternal characteristics did not differ significantly between the study and the control group. There were no significant differences in the early and late velocity, early/late velocity ratio of both mitral and tricuspid valves, the fetal pulmonary vein pulsatility index, and the ductus venosus pulsatility index between the study and the control group. Moreover, the rate of abnormal Doppler findings in pulmonary vein (pulmonary vein pulsatility index >95th centile), ductus venosus (ductus venosus pulsatility index >95th centile), and peripheral vessels (umbilical artery pulsatility index >95th centile, middle cerebral artery pulsatility index <5th centile, cerebra-placental index >95th centile) were comparable in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The third trimester fetal diastolic functions measured by selected conventional Doppler techniques do not seem to be altered in appropriate-for-gestational-age or macrosomic fetuses of gestational diabetic mothers who have poor glycaemic control.

Letrozole as an adjunct treatment in antagonist cycles that previously failed in poor responders.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether adding letrozole in the early follicular phase of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist (GA) stimulation cycle improves in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in poor responder patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To be included in this study, patients had to have had at least one previous GA cycle and a subsequent GA cycle with added early follicular phase letrozole (LzGA). A total of 41 poor responder patients were identified based on the Bologna criteria. RESULTS: The LzGA group had a lower dosage of follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) (p = 0.001), the duration of stimulation days (p = 0.015) and the duration of GnRH antagonist stimulation days (p = 0.033) when compared with controls. Comprehensive analysis of the cycle characteristics showed that the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of MII oocytes retrieved, the number of fertilized oocytes, and the fertilization rate were significantly higher in the LzGA cycle (p = 0.041, p = 0.019, p = 0.008, p = 0.01, respectively). The rate of cycle cancellation was lower in the LzGA group (24.4%) than in the GA group (48.8%), (p < 0.001). Although LzGA administration demonstrated a trend toward improved implantation and clinical pregnancy rates, this was an insignificant trend (p = 1.000, p = 0.177, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive letrozole administration seems to restore an IVF cycle by improving the cycle characteristics and reducing the total gonadotrophin dosage.