Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(7):660-666
The present study aims to describe the main characteristics of female couples resorting to a fertility clinic, to understand whether these patients have clear previous plans concerning procreation and how they end up completing their family planning, and to briefly describe the main outcomes of the recepción de ovocitos de pareja (ROPA, in the Spanish acronym: in English, reception of partner's oocytes) method.
This is a descriptive retrospective study of the pathway and outcomes of female couples in a fertility clinic during a 2-year period.
A total of 129 couples were treated. Only one third of the couples had no condition potentially affecting fertility or advanced age. Most couples were decided to undergo artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization and the majority kept their plans, as opposed to 38% of the couples who decided to the ROPA method (lesbian shared in vitro fertilization) who changed plans. Live birth rates per treatment (including frozen embryo transfers) for artificial insemination, 58% for in vitro fertilization, 80% for treatments with donated oocytes or embryos, and 79% for ROPA. Four in five couples achieved live births.
The present study highlights the importance of a thorough medical workup in same-sex couples resorting to assisted reproduction. Despite the higher-than-expected rates of fertility disorders, the outcomes were good. Most couples end up in a single parented method. Furthermore, the results of the ROPA method are reassuring.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2012;34(12):575-581
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032012001200008
PURPOSE: To compare serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels on the seventh day of ovarian stimulation between normal and poor responders. METHODS: Nineteen women aged ≥35, presenting with regular menses, submitted to ovarian stimulation for assisted reproduction were included. Women with endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome or those who were previously submitted to ovarian surgery were excluded. On the basal and seventh day of ovarian stimulation, a peripheral blood sample was drawn for the determination of AMH, FSH and estradiol levels. AMH levels were assessed by ELISA and FSH, and estradiol by immunochemiluminescence. At the end of the stimulation cycle patients were classified as normal responders (if four or more oocytes were obtained during oocyte retrieval) or poor responders (if less than four oocytes were obtained during oocyte retrieval or if the cycle was cancelled due to failure of ovulation induction) and comparatively analyzed by the t-test for hormonal levels, length of ovarian stimulation, number of follicles retrieved, and number of produced and transferred embryos. The association between AMH and these parameters was also analyzed by the Spearman correlation test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups for basal or the seventh day as to AMH, FSH and estradiol levels. There was a significant correlation between seventh day AMH levels and the total amount of exogenous FSH used (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: AMH levels on the seventh day of the ovarian stimulation cycle do not seem to predict the pattern of ovarian response and their determination is not recommended for this purpose.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2007;29(7):340-345
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032007000700003
PURPOSE: to evaluate the efficacy of in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in natural cycle (NC). METHODS: retrospective clinical trial that evaluated 70 treatment cycles in 60 couples that were submitted to IVF treatment with ICSI in NC performed in private clinic from 1999 until 2003. It was performed daily ultrasound monitorization or on alternate days, and urinary LH dosage when the follicle reached 16 mm of diameter. It was scheduled egg retrieval when the follicle reached 18 mm of diameter and 36 hours after hCG administration when the LH test was negative. Embryo transfer was performed 48 to 52 hours after ICSI. RESULTS: 70 ICSI cycles in 60 patients were performed and the indications of treatment included: male factor (47.1%), tubal factor (37.1%), associated factors (8.7%), unknown infertility (7.1%). Out of 70 cycles, 18 cycles were cancelled (25.7% of cancellation rate). Out of 52 patients that were submitted to ovarian punction to oocyte retrieval we found mature oocytes in 77% of the cases (40 cycles), in four cases we collected immature oocytes and in eight cases we could not found it. We had 70% of fertilization rate and only one fertilized oocyte did not achieve the cleavage stage. So, the transfers rate per punction and per mature oocyte was 52% and 67.5%, respectively. We had 11.4% of pregnancy rate per cycle, 15.4% per punction and 29.6% per embryo transfer. CONCLUSIONS: FIV/ICSI in NC seem to be a satisfactory option of treatment, with low costs and complications (multiple gestation and Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome), mainly in poor responder patients and in poor populations.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2006;28(2):81-90
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032006000200003
PURPOSE: to evaluate the incidence and types of major congenital malformations (MCM) in liveborn children conceived by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). METHODS: a total of 680 liveborn children resulted from 511 couples submitted to ICSI from January, 1999 to December, 2002. Data collection of the children was performed through standardized questionnaire and clinical examination. Of the 511 couples, 366 had been contacted for a sampling of 371 gestations. Of the 680 liveborn, 520 had been evaluated, 250 of them (48.1%) through questionnaire and 270 (51.9%) through questionnaire and physical examination. Two hundred and fifty children were from singleton pregnancies and 270 from multiple pregnancies. Malformations were classified according to the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health. Only MCM were analyzed in this study. The incidence of MCM was compared with that of the general population obtained by the Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations. The statistical analysis was performed by the c² test (level of significance p<0.05). RESULTS: of the 520 children, 15 presented MCM, resulting in an incidence of 2.9%. There was no difference in relation to the control group (p>0.05), which showed 2.6% incidence of MCM. The most frequent malformations were of cardiac origin (four isolated and two associated), corresponding to 40% of the total. The other types of MCM were: renal (three), neural tube (two), skull (one), cleft lip (one), genital (one), Down syndrome (associated with cardiac malformations) (two), and musculoskeletal (one). Six MCM occurred in children from singleton pregnancies and nine in children from multiple pregnancies. CONCLUSION: the liveborn children conceived by ICSI presented incidence of major congenital malformations (2.9%) near to the expected for the general population (2.6%). However, to establish the risks of MCM with precision it is necessary to continue the evaluation of the children conceived by ICSI.