Efficiency of changing the embryo transfer time from day 3 to day 2 among women with poor ovarian response: a prospective randomized trial.

Objective: To compare the outcome of day 2 and day 3 embryo transfers in women demonstrating poor ovarian response.

Design: Prospective randomized clinical trial.

Setting: Private assisted reproductive technology center.

Patient(s): Two hundred eighty-one women demonstrating poor ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

Intervention(s): Women who were poor responders were randomly allocated to day 2 or day 3 embryo transfer following oocyte retrieval.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Implantation rates and pregnancy rates per oocyte retrieval and embryo transfer.

Result(s): The clinical pregnancy rates per oocyte retrieval (37.2% vs. 21.4%, respectively; P<.05) and per embryo transfer (38.9% vs. 24.1%, respectively; P<.05) were significantly higher in the day 2 embryo transfer group compared with day 3. On the other hand, implantation rates were not different between groups (23.9% vs. 17.2%, respectively; P=.08).

Conclusion(s): Our results demonstrated that transfering embryos on day 2 could provide an alternative to the management of poor responder patients.