title: Should a patient's own IVF physician perform the embryo transfer?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare pregnancy rates of embryo transfers performed by a patient's own IVF physician to pregnancy rates of embryo transfers performed by other physicians on the IVF team.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study; University hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3029 embryo transfers were included. 434 patients (14%) had an embryo transfer by their own IVF physician. There was no difference in pregnancy rates comparing patients who had embryos transferred by a different physician than their own IVF physician when all cycle attempts were analyzed [Odds ratio (OR) 1.1; Confidence interval (CI) 0.9-1.4]. There was no significant difference between the groups' population characteristics. A subset analysis of 1st cycle only embryo transfers (n=1416) also revealed no difference in pregnancy rates [OR 1.1; CI 0.8-1.5].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients can be reassured that their chances of pregnancy are the same whether their embryo transfer is performed by their own physician or another physician in the practice.
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Estes
authors.forename: Stacey A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Missmer
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Ginsburg
mesh_terms: D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D035502:Trust