Transvaginal versus transabdominal ultrasound guidance for embryo transfer in donor oocyte recipients: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To compare pregnancy and implantation rates with transvaginal (TV) versus transabdominal (TA) ultrasound-guided embryo transfer (ET).

DESIGN:

Randomized, clinical trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01137461).

SETTING:

Private, infertility clinic.

PATIENT(S):

Three-hundred thirty randomized recipients of donor oocytes.

INTERVENTION(S):

Embryo transfer using TV (with empty bladder, using the Kitazato ET Long catheter) versus TA ultrasound guidance (with full bladder, using the echogenic Sure View Wallace catheter).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):

Overall pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, implantation, and ongoing pregnancy rates. Duration and difficulty of ET. Patient-reported uterine cramping and discomfort, as evaluated by questionnaire.

RESULT(S):

No statistically significant differences were observed in clinical pregnancy 50.9% versus 49.4% (95% confidence interval of the difference: -9.2 to +12.2%), implantation 34.5% versus 31.4% (95% CI of the difference: -4 to +10.3%) between the TV and TA ultrasound-guided groups. Transfer difficulty (6% versus 4.2%) and uterine cramping (27.2% versus 18.3%) were not statistically significantly different between treatment groups. Total duration (154±119 versus 85±76 seconds) was statistically significantly higher in the TV ultrasound group. Light to moderate-severe discomfort related to bladder distension was reported by 63% of the patients in the TA ultrasound group.

CONCLUSION(S):

Transvaginal ultrasound-guided ET yielded similar success rates compared with the TA ultrasound-guided procedure without requiring the assistance of a sonographer. It was associated with increased patient comfort due to the absence of bladder distension.