Gestational carrier in assisted reproductive technology

Abstract

Objective: To compare clinical outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles with the use of gestational carriers (GCs) with non-GC IVF cycles.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles performed with (24,269) and without (1,313,452) the use of a GC.

Setting: ART centers.

Patient(s): Infertile patients seeking IVF with or without use of a GC.

Interventions(s): Autologous and donor oocyte cycles, fresh and cryopreserved embryo transfer cycles.

Main outcome measure(s): Live birth rate (LBR), twin and high-order multiple birth rates.

Result(s): Approximately 2% of embryo transfers used a GC. Per embryo transfer, GCs had greater pregnancy rate and LBR across all IVF types compared with non-GC cycles in crude models and models adjusted a priori for potential confounders. For women with uterine-factor infertility, embryo transfer with the use of a GC resulted in a higher odds of live birth for autologous fresh embryos and for cryopreserved embryos compared with patients with non-uterine-factor infertility diagnoses.

Conclusion(s): GC benefits LBRs for some patients seeking ART. The highest LBRs occurred when the indication for GC was uterine-factor infertility.

Keywords: Gestational carrier; assisted reproductive technology; gestational surrogacy; in vitro fertilization.