Timing of Estrogen Support During the Luteal Phase of in Vitro Fertilization (IVF)/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Cycle

Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital301 enrolled

Overview

To test the hypothesis that adding estradiol (E2) to progesterone supplementation later in the luteal phase of in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, rather than earlier in the luteal phase, improves clinical pregnancy rates (PRs).

Several studies reported that elevated E2 may have a detrimental effect on endometrial receptivity and embryo. This conflict was the starting point of our study. The investigators thought that this luteal decrease in E2 level could be prevented by adding estradiol just before the receptivity window is open, instead of adding earlier in the luteal phase which could result in defective embryo implantation.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

301

Conditions

Infertility

Interventions

estradiol tabletDRUG

received 2 mg estradiol tablets orally two times daily beginning from the first day after hCG injection, in addition to vaginal progesterone gel

estradiol tabletDRUG

received 2 mg estradiol tablets orally two times daily beginning from the fifth day after hCG injection, in addition to vaginal progesterone gel.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMax age: 40 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * All patients on long GnRH agonist protocol with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation who were seen in our IVF clinic between February and November 2008, and who have E2 levels on the day of hCG administration \>2500 pg/dl Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of azoospermia requiring testicular sperm extraction procedure * endometriosis greater than stage II * unilateral oophorectomy, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) * secondary infertility * age greater than 40 yrs and a basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level higher than 12 mIU/ml were exclusion criteria

Locations (1)

Zekai Tahir Burak Maternity and Teaching Hospital

Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Clinical pregnancy rate

Clinical pregnancies were detected with the confirmation of positive fetal cardiac activities by transvaginal sonography in the sixth gestational week.

Time frame: sixth gestational week.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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