Abstract
Purpose
Does transfer of supernatant embryo culture fluid (stimulation of endometrial embryo transfer - SEET) prior to vitrified warmed blastocyst transfer result in better clinical pregnancy and live birth rates than direct vitrified warmed blastocyst transfer?
Methods
This randomized controlled trial compared SEET group and direct transfer group (control) in 60 women undergoing vitrified warmed blastocyst transfers. The duration of the study was 3 years. The patients were undergoing vitrified warmed blastocyst transfer at university level infertility centre. Sixty women were randomized to SEET (n = 30) or control (n = 30).
Results
Data was available for analysis from all the 30 women in the SEET group and 30 women in the control group. There were no drop outs in the trial. The implantation rate was significantly lower in the SEET group compared to the control group (27 vs. 44 %, P = 0.018). The clinical pregnancy rates were similar in both the groups (47 vs. 53 %) but the live birth rate was also significantly lower in SEET group (23 vs. 50 %, P = 0.03).
Limitations
The sample size based on clinical pregnancy rates was small and hence not adequately powered to detect differences in live birth rates. Lack of blinding leading to possible bias cannot be ruled out.
Conclusion
There was no evidence of an improvement in clinical pregnancy rate following SEET in vitrified warmed blastocyst transfer compared to direct transfer.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Ms. M.S. Gowri, Department of Biostatistic, Christian Medical College, Vellore for providing the statistical support.
Study funding
Research Grant, Christian Medical College, Vellore.
Conflict of interest
None to declare.
Authorship role
KG and MSK conceived and designed the study. MM and MSK analyzed and interpreted the data. MM, MSK and KG wrote the manuscript. KB, NNV, AJ, MM, MK and MSK contributed to data collection and/or performed procedures. All the authors contributed to write the manuscript. All the authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Capsule
In women undergoing vitrified warmed blastocyst transfer, the clinical pregnancy rate following prior transfer of supernatant embryo culture fluid (SEET) did not improve compared to direct transfer.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CTRI/2013/01/003280.
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Kamath, M.S., Mascarenhas, M., B, K. et al. Uterine flushing with supernatant embryo culture medium in vitrified warmed blastocyst transfer cycles: a randomized controlled trial. J Assist Reprod Genet 32, 225–231 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-014-0385-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-014-0385-y