Oral dydrogesterone along with vaginal micronized progesterone supplementation for luteal phase support in IVF patients, and its impact on pregnancy and live birth rates: a prospective randomized trial.

Background: A normal luteal function is an essential factor for maintaining pregnancy; luteal phase deficiency decreases embryo implantation and pregnancy rate and increases the early miscarriage rate. In stimulated in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) patients, luteal phase support (LPS) is achieved by the exogenous supplementation with progesterone to increase endometrial receptivity and pregnancy. While several protocols exist, no commonly accepted protocol has been established for optimal luteal support after IVF-ET to date, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two different luteal phase support protocols in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technologies.

Effectiveness of corifollitropin alfa used for ovarian stimulation of poor responder patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency and efficacy of corifollitropin alfa (follicle-stimulating hormone-carboxy terminal peptide) in the treatment of poor responder patients.

Methods: A total of 85 poor responder patients with a mean age 40.2±3.

Profile of follitropin alpha/lutropin alpha combination for the stimulation of follicular development in women with severe luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone deficiency.

A severe gonadotropin deficiency together with chronic estradiol deficiency leading to amenorrhea characterizes patients suffering from hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Administration of both follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) to these patients has been shown to be essential in achieving successful stimulation of follicular development, ovulation, and rescue of fertility. In recent years, the availability of both recombinant FSH (rFSH) and recombinant LH (rLH) has provided a new therapeutic option for the stimulation of follicular growth in hypopituitary-hypogonadotropic women (World Health Organization Group I).

Ultrasound guidance of embryo transfer: a role for midwife.

Objective: Evaluate the role of midwife with no experience in assisting ultrasound guided embryo transfer.

Methods: A prospective randomized study comparing results of IVF after ultrasound guided embryo transfer (ET) assisted either by a midwife with no formal training in US, or by a doctor trained to guide. ET procedure was performed on 553 patients undergoing ultrasound guided ET.

Pregnancies and deliveries after injection of vitrified-warmed oocytes with cryopreserved testicular sperm.

The purpose of this study is to report successful pregnancies and deliveries from embryos derived from vitrified-warmed oocytes injected with frozen-thawed testicular sperm. After the vitrification-warming procedure, surviving oocytes from 11 patients were microinjected with thawed testicular spermatozoa, and subsequent viable cleaving embryos were transferred, resulting in four clinical pregnancies.

Urinary hMG (Meropur) versus recombinant FSH plus recombinant LH (Pergoveris) in IVF: a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial.

To compare IVF outcome in ovarian stimulation protocols with recombinant FSH plus recombinant LH versus hMG, 122 patients were randomized into two study groups: group A, patients treated with urinary hMG, and group B, patients treated with rFSH plus rLH. The two groups proved to be comparable to the main IVF outcome (pregnancy rate, implantation rate, oocytes, and embryos quality), with an increasing risk of ovarian hyperstimulation in the Pergoveris group.

Evaluation of two doses of recombinant luteinizing hormone supplementation in an unselected group of women undergoing follicular stimulation for in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of two doses of recombinant (r)LH, 75 IU (recommended) or 37.5 IU, for follicular stimulation and outcomes in a randomized cohort of IVF patients.

Design: Randomized, prospective analysis.