IVF Worldwide

Newsletter - January 27, 2010

 Website – www.IVF-Worldwide.com

Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer (FET)
 
Survey observations are based on 179 IVF centers representing 56 countries. The results relate to 133,290 IVF cycles, of which 39,152 are FET.


The number of IVF units registered on the website has increased to 3071

General Observations

• We compared the percentage of FET cycles from the total IVF cycles per country, as reported in the survey, to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the same country, and found no correlation. This means that the number of FET cycles in a specific country is not related to the overall economic output. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal))
• The timing of embryo freezing is almost equally divided among day 2 (24%), 3 (32%) and the blastocyst stage (24%).
• The vast majority of ART clinics worldwide (61%) require a washout period between the fresh and FET cycles.
• Preparation for FET is almost equally divided between hormone replacement (49%) and natural cycle (45%). Ovulation induction for FET was given in only 4% of the treated cycles.
• In about 63% of cycles, the embryos (if not at blastocyst stage) are left in culture for 24 hours to check further development.

• Monitoring is usually performed by ultrasound and blood tests (40%).
• A relatively large proportion (14%) of NC-FET cycles is monitored by urinary LH kits.
• All methods for ovulation detection/triggering seem to be equally effective, and therefore a wide variability in their use is seen.
• It was reported that 56% of the cycles were supported during the luteal phase.
• Of those given luteal support, vaginal progesterone only was administered in 66.4%. Intramuscular progesterone was reported in 19.2%.

• Pituitary suppression with GnRH agonists was reported in 23.9%.
• Oral estrogen is the most popular route of administration.
• Vaginal progesterone is reported in 77%, this being the most common form of progesterone supplementation.
• It is believed that ultrasound is the major tool for follow-up (93%). Approximately 38% of physicians feel that adding a blood test would improve their results.
• It is accepted by 84% of the reported physicians that a suitable endometrium should be between 6 and 8 mm. Only 8% do not take endometrial thickness into consideration.
• Luteal support was given up to 10 gestational weeks in 35% and up to 12  gestational weeks in 36%. Only 2% discontinued support at the time of positive hCG. 

On behalf of the IVF-Worldwide team and the Advisory Board of the website, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all the centers that participated in the survey by adding to international knowledge, as this could be of use around the world.

 
Please contribute to the survey which is currently posted on the website

METFORMIN USE IN IVF PATIENTS

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Yours sincerely,

Profs. Zeev Shoham and Milton Leong