Prostaglandin therapy during the proliferative phase improves pregnancy rates following frozen embryo transfer in a hormone replacement cycle.

Aim: To determine the efficacy of prostaglandin administration during the proliferative phase in order to improve pregnancy rates following frozen embryo transfer during a hormone replacement cycle (HRC).

Methods: From September 2010 through March 2012, patients (n = 135) were recruited who had undergone oocyte retrieval during a stimulation cycle with clomiphene and had deferred fresh embryo transfer (ET) due to a thin uterine endometrium. All patients were less than 40 years of age and underwent thawed ET following all embryo cryopreservation, and were randomly divided into two groups for thawed ET using a conventional hormone replacement cycle with or without prostaglandin derivatives (prostaglandin or conventional group).

Hyaluronan-enriched transfer medium improves outcome in patients with multiple embryo transfer failures.

Purpose: To ascertain whether the use of hyaluronan-enriched transfer medium (HETM) improves pregnancy and implantation rates among embryo transfer patients with a history of multiple implantation failures.

Methods: Patients (n = 314) under the age of 40 and with a history of multiple unsuccessful embryo transfers were enrolled. There were three groups of patients: those undergoing fresh embryo transfer (fresh ET [n = 111]), those undergoing vitrified-warmed ET in the natural cycle (WET-N [n = 101]) and those undergoing WET in a hormone replacement cycle (WET-H [n = 102]).

A programmed schedule of oocyte retrieval using mild ovarian stimulation (clomiphene citrate and recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone).

Purpose: The purpose was to establish a mild ovarian stimulation protocol that would help assisted reproductive technology (ART) units to avoid scheduling on weekends.

Methods: This protocol directed patients to take 50 mg/day of clomiphene citrate between days 3 and 7 of the menstrual cycle: 225 IU of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rec-FSH) were administered on days 3, 5 and 7; human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was administered on day 9; and, oocyte pick-up (OPU) was planned for day 11. From October 2008 through October 2009, 514 women underwent ART treatment with mild stimulation at the Sugiyama Clinic, and we evaluated whether OPU was accomplished on the planned day.