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Success rates in minimal stimulation cycle IVF with clomiphene citrate only

  • Assisted Reproduction Technologies
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Abstract

Purpose

To determine age-adjusted overall success rates for patients undergoing clomiphene citrate only minimal stimulation cycle (mini) in vitro fertilization (IVF) without any gonadotropin administration.

Methods

Eight hundred thirty-nine women (mean age: 38.4 ± 0.1 years; 2488 cycles) underwent clomiphene citrate only mini-IVF. Their first oocyte retrieval was between January 2009 and December 2009, with follow-up until December 2014. The cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) per oocyte retrieval cycle started and live birth rate per oocyte was retrospectively analyzed. The basic CLBR was calculated as the number of women who achieved a live birth divided by the total number of women who started oocyte retrieval.

Results

The mean number of oocytes retrieved was 1.5. The basic CLBRs for all ages after the first and third cycles were 22.6% and 39.2%, respectively. For ≤ 34 years, 35–37 years, 38–40 years, 41–42 years, and ≥ 43 years, CLBRs after the first and third cycles were 42.5% and 70.1%, 32.9% and 49.1%, 20.0% and 38.6%, 12.6% and 25.2%, and 4.4% and 8.8%, respectively. These rates had a significant relationship with age (P < 0.01). The LBR per oocyte for all ages was 9.6%.

Conclusion

Acceptable overall IVF success rates can be achieved in clomiphene citrate only mini-IVF, as well as acceptable LBR. The CLBRs and LBRs per oocyte are evidently influenced by women’s age.

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Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kato Ladies Clinic, 7-20-3 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan

    Takashi Abe, Akiko Yabuuchi, Kenji Ezoe, Junichiro Fukuda, Satoshi Ueno, Tamotsu Kobayashi & Keiichi Kato

  2. Shinjuku ART Clinic, 6-8-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 163-6003, Japan

    Takashi Abe

  3. Whitehead Institute, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA

    Helen Skaletsky & Yuting Fan

  4. Infertility Center of St. Louis, 224 S. Woods Mill Road Suite 730, St. Louis, MO, 63017, USA

    Yuting Fan, Sierra Goldsmith & Sherman Silber

Authors
  1. Takashi Abe
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  2. Akiko Yabuuchi
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  3. Kenji Ezoe
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  4. Helen Skaletsky
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  5. Junichiro Fukuda
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  6. Satoshi Ueno
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  7. Yuting Fan
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  9. Tamotsu Kobayashi
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  10. Sherman Silber
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  11. Keiichi Kato
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Contributions

T.A., A.Y., K.K., and S.S were responsible for the supervision, study design, data collection and interpretation, and manuscript writing. K.E. was responsible for study design and data collection. K.E. and H.S. performed statistical data analysis. J.F., S.U., Y.F., S.G., and T.K. were responsible for the study design and literature review.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Keiichi Kato.

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Abe, T., Yabuuchi, A., Ezoe, K. et al. Success rates in minimal stimulation cycle IVF with clomiphene citrate only. J Assist Reprod Genet 37, 297–304 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-019-01662-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-019-01662-z

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