Pregnancy rates after embryo transfer depend on the provider at embryo transfer

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of individual providers on pregnancy outcome after embryo transfer.

Design: Retrospective data analysis.

Setting: University-based tertiary-care assisted reproductive technology program with 10 physician-providers.

Patient(s): Six hundred and seventeen women who underwent 854 fresh embryo transfers between January 1996 and January 1999.

Intervention(s): Pregnancies after embryo transfer were recorded for each provider.

Main outcome measure(s): Establishment of a clinical pregnancy.

Result(s): Three hundred ninety-three clinical pregnancies resulted from 854 embryo transfers, for an overall clinical pregnancy rate of 46.0% per embryo transfer. Three hundred forty-seven (40.6%) pregnancies were ongoing. The clinical pregnancy rate varied significantly between providers: for example, 17.0% (47 transfers) vs. 54.3% (57 transfers) (P<.05). Similarly, the ratio of high-grade embryos required to produce a gestational sac differed between providers. The number or quality of embryos transferred did not differ significantly.

Conclusion(s): Significant differences were observed in pregnancy rates after embryo transfer done by different providers, suggesting that embryo transfer technique may influence pregnancy outcome in assisted reproductive technology.