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Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer Cycles Have a Lower Incidence of Ectopic Pregnancy Compared With Fresh Embryo Transfer Cycles

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the risk of ectopic pregnancy of embryo transfer.

Design

A retrospective cohort study on the incidence of ectopic pregnancy in fresh and frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles from January 1st, 2010, to January 1st, 2015.

Patients

Infertile women undergoing frozen-thawed transfer cycles or fresh transfer cycles.

Intervention

In-vitro fertilization, fresh embryo transfer, frozen-thawed embryo transfer, ectopic pregnancy.

Main Outcome Measures

Ectopic pregnancy rate and clinical pregnancy rate.

Result

A total of 69 756 in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles from 2010 to 2015 were analyzed, including 45 960 (65.9%) fresh and 23 796 (34.1%) frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. The clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer was slightly lower in fresh embryo transfer cycles compared with frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles (40.8% vs 43.1%, P <.001). Frozen-thawed embryo transfer is associated with a lower incidence of ectopic pregnancy per clinical pregnancy, compared with fresh embryo transfers (odds ratio = 0.31; 95% confidence interval = 0.24-0.39). Female age and body mass index have no influence on ectopic pregnancy. In the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles, blastocyst transfer shows a significantly lower incidence of ectopic pregnancy (0.8% vs 1.8%, P =.002) in comparison with day 3 cleavage embryo transfer.

Conclusion

The risk of ectopic pregnancy is lower in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles than fresh embryo transfer cycles, and blastocyst transfer could further decrease the ectopic pregnancy rate in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Xinyu Zhang MD, Caihong Ma MD, PhD, Zhangxin Wu MD, Rong Li MD, PhD, Ping Liu MD, PhD & Jie Qiao MD, PhD

  2. Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Liyuan Tao PhD

Authors
  1. Xinyu Zhang MD
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  2. Caihong Ma MD, PhD
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  3. Zhangxin Wu MD
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  4. Liyuan Tao PhD
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  5. Rong Li MD, PhD
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  6. Ping Liu MD, PhD
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  7. Jie Qiao MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jie Qiao MD, PhD.

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Zhang, X., Ma, C., Wu, Z. et al. Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer Cycles Have a Lower Incidence of Ectopic Pregnancy Compared With Fresh Embryo Transfer Cycles. Reprod. Sci. 25, 1431–1435 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719117746759

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719117746759

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