Success rates and cost of a live birth following fresh assisted reproduction treatment in women aged 45 years and older, Australia 2002-2004.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to calculate assisted reproductive technology (ART) success rates for fresh autologous and donor cycles in women aged > or = 45 and the resultant cost per live birth.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective population-based study of 2339 ART cycles conducted in Australia, 2002-2004 to women aged > or = 45 years. The cost-outcome study was performed on fresh autologous treatment cycles.


RESULTS
There were 1101 fresh autologous cycles initiated in women aged > or = 45, with a pregnancy rate of 1.9 per 100 initiated cycles. There were 21 women who achieved a clinical pregnancy with 15 (71%) ending in early pregnancy loss and 6 in live singleton births. The live birth rate following fresh autologous initiated cycles was 0.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.1-1.0%]. Fresh donor recipients had an higher live birth rate of 19.1% (95% CI: 15.1-23.2) (odds ratio 43.2; 95% CI: 18.6-100.3) compared with women having fresh autologous cycles. The average cost of a live birth following fresh autologous cycles was 753,107 euros.


CONCLUSIONS
The success rate of fresh autologous treatment for women aged > or = 45 years was < 1%. The very high cost of a live birth reflects a treatment failure rate of > 99%. The ART profession should counsel patients of the reality of the technology before the patients consent to treatment.
Sullivan
Elizabeth
E
Perinatal and Reproductive Epidemiology and Research Unit, School Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, McNevin Dickson Building, Randwick Hospitals Campus, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia. e.sullivan@unsw.edu.au
Wang
Yueping
Y
Chapman
Michael
M
Chambers
Georgina
G
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D050498:Live Birth / Q000191:economics*; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies