title: Transabdominal follicular aspiration for oocyte retrieval in patients with ovaries inaccessible by transvaginal ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided transabdominal follicular aspiration when the ovaries are not accessible transvaginally.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-hospital based in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  69 women undergoing transabdominal follicular aspiration for oocyte retrieval, including 12 cases of mixed abdominal/vaginal aspiration, compared with controls matched by age, follicle number, and year of procedure undergoing standard transvaginal aspiration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transabdominal follicular aspiration when one or more ovaries could not be retrieved via standard transvaginal aspiration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total and mature oocytes retrieved, damaged oocytes, fertilization rate, embryo number and quality, and clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cases of transabdominal aspiration had slightly fewer oocytes retrieved, but no statistically significant differences were found for damaged oocytes, fertilization rates, embryo number and quality, or pregnancy rates. In 12 years, one complication requiring hospitalization was noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that transabdominal ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration is safe and efficacious, yielding clinical results in women with significant ovarian displacement, comparable with results achieved by transvaginal aspiration in women with normally positioned ovaries. Transabdominal ultrasound-guided aspiration should be the modality of choice when the ovaries are not accessible transvaginally.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Politch
authors.forename: Carol B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Ginsburg
authors.forename: Antonio R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gargiulo
mesh_terms: D034841:Abdominal Cavity / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014621:Vagina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*