title: Flexible versus rigid intrauterine insemination catheters: a prospective, randomized, controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively compare pregnancy rates for couples undergoing IUI by a single healthcare provider with random assignment to either rigid (Tomcat; Kendall Sovereign, Mansfield, MA) or flexible (Soft Pass; Cook, Spencer, IN) catheters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care infertility practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred infertile women enrolled from a single infertility practice who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for IUI were enrolled. Of the 100 patients, 95 underwent ovarian stimulation before IUI: 35 with clomiphene citrate alone, 60 with clomiphene citrate combined with a single dose of gonadotropins.
  
  
  METHODS
  Timed IUI was performed with either rigid (Tomcat) or flexible (Cook) insemination catheters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnancy rate per cycle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were noted between groups for the following: age, length of infertility, day-3 FSH level, number of prior IUI cycles, total motile sperm count, days of abstinence, infertility diagnoses, insemination ratings, and stimulation protocols. No difference in pregnancy rates was observed between rigid and flexible catheter groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no statistically significant difference between flexible and rigid catheters for IUI.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Center for Women's Medicine, Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, South Carolina 29605, USA. pmiller@ghs.org
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: M Lee
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Acres
authors.forename: J Glenn
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Proctor
authors.forename: H Lee
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Higdon
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Boone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D018583:Pliability; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies