title: The effect of conventional vs. mild ovarian hyperstimulation on the total number of live babies born from a given oocyte retrieval.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare pregnancy outcome in women with normal oocyte reserve according to whether they received conventional or mild follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) further stratified by age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A ten-year retrospective study including all cycles (even multiple in given patients) was performed. Mild stimulation including all cycles initiated and continued with 150 IU FSH or less from early follicular phase. Everything else was considered conventional stimulation. Mild stimulation included natural cycles or those with just a boost of 75 IU FSH from the mid to late follicular phase. Only women with normal oocyte reserve were selected--serum FSH < 12 mIU/mL and serum E2 < 50 pg/mL. Live delivered pregnancy rates within three age groups (≤ 35, 36-39, and 40-42 years) were compared per embryo transfer and per embryo retrieval, i.e., the percentage of women having a live baby without proceeding to another IVF-ET cycle. Also compared were the average number of babies born from one retrieval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For aged ≤ 35 there were no differences in pregnancy rates per transfer but a trend for higher pregnancy rates per retrieval with conventional stimulation. For all other age groups both pregnancy rates per transfer and retrieval were significantly higher with conventional stimulation. This was reflected with a higher average number of babies born per retrieval with conventional.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For women with normal oocyte reserve in general, there is no advantage of mild vs. conventional COH other than cost saving. Of course there are exceptions, e.g., ovarian hyperstimulation with conventional COH.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Check
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horwath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone