title: Ultrasound-guided embryo transfer: immediate withdrawal of the catheter versus a 30 second wait.
abstract: It is essential to deposit embryos as gently as possible during IVF, avoiding manoeuvres that might trigger uterine contractions which could adversely affect the results of this treatment. The time during which the embryo transfer catheter remains in the cervical canal might be related to stimulation of contractions. This study investigates the influence that the time interval before withdrawal of the catheter after ultrasound (US)-guided embryo deposit might have on the pregnancy rate in patients under IVF cycles. A total of 100 women about to undergo transfer of at least two optimal embryos was studied. The women were prospectively randomized into two groups: (i) slow withdrawal of the catheter immediately after embryo deposit (n = 51); and (ii) a 30 s delay before catheter withdrawal (n = 49). The pregnancy rates for transfer in the two groups were 60.8 and 69.4% respectively, with no significant differences. There were no statistically significant differences in pregnancy rates between the two patient groups. The results indicate either that the waiting interval was insufficient to detect differences, or that the retention time before withdrawing the catheter is not a factor that influences pregnancy rate.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina de la Reproducción, Instituto Universitario Dexeus, Pso Bonanova 67, 08017 Barcelona, Spain. pacmar@iudexeus.uab.es
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coroleu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parriego
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Belil
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parera
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hereter
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buxaderas
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Barri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001755:Blastocyst; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D004958:Estradiol