title: Modified natural cycle in vitro fertilization an alternative in vitro fertilization treatment with lower costs per achieved pregnancy but longer treatment time.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the cost and time requirement per achieved pregnancy in optimized modified natural cycle in vitro fertilization (mNC-IVF) based on a treatment protocol with very few consultations and to compare those with conventional gonadotropin-stimulated aVF (clVF) cycles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mono centric prospective trial. Eighty infertile patients each received 1 modified mNC-IVF cycle using low doses of the clomiphene citrate. Based on the number of consultations and the clinical pregnancy rate per cycle, the total costs and required time to achieve a pregnancy were analyzed and compared with cIVF. Calculations for cIVF were based on standard therapy protocols and outcomes of European registries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients (21-42 years old, 35.4 +/- 4.7 years) undergoing mNC-IVF required on average 1.2 consultations before follicle aspiration. Pregnancy rate per transfer and per initiated cycle were 25% and 13.6%, respectively. Multiple pregnancies did not occur. According to the calculations, total costs per pregnancy rate were around 15% lower with mNC-IVF as compared to cIVF. In contrast, time to achieve an equal pregnancy rate was calculated to take around 30% longer with mNC-IVF as compared to cIVF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  mNC-IVF using very low dosages of clomiphene citrate avoids multiple pregnancies and is less expensive but more time consuming per achieved pregnancy when compared to clVF.
authors.affiliation: University Women's Hospital, Berne, Switzerland. michael.vonwolff@insel.ch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Wolff
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rohner
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santi
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stute
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Popovici
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult