Do trained reproductive endocrinologists perform better than their trainees? Comparing clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates after transfer of single fresh blastocysts

• Published in: Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 885 - 890
• Main Authors: Behbehani, Sadikah, Hasson, Joseph, Polesello, Stefano, Son, WY, Tulandi, Togas, Buckett, William
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-05-2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Assisted Reproduction Technologies; Birth Rate; Blastocysts; Embryo transfer; Embryo Transfer - methods; Endocrinologists - education; Endocrinology; Female; Follicle-stimulating hormone; Gonadotropins; Gravity; Gynecology; Human Genetics; Humans; Infertility; Live Birth; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Physicians; Pituitary (anterior); Pregnancy; Pregnancy Rate; Reproductive Medicine; Retrospective Studies; Embryo transfer; Single blastocyst transfer; Fellows in training
• ISSN: 1058-0468; 1573-7330
• DOI: 10.1007/s10815-018-1127-3

Purpose
To compare clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates of single blastocyst transfers performed by attending physicians or fellows in reproductive endocrinology and infertility program.
Methods
Retrospective study in an academic reproductive center. We evaluated 932 fresh single blastocyst transfer cycles performed by fellows in training (389 embryo transfers) and by attending physicians (543 embryo transfers).
Results
There were no differences in the baseline characteristics and IVF cycle parameters between patients who had transfers performed by fellows or attending physicians. Transfers performed by attending physicians or fellows resulted in similar CPR (46.5 vs. 42.9%,
p
 = 0.28) and LBR (38.3 vs. 34.2%,
p
 = 0.11). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that even after adjusting for possible confounders (age, gravity, parity, baseline FSH, antral follicle count, dose of gonadotropins, stimulation protocol, and quality of embryo transferred), CPR (OR 0.81, CI 0.62–1.07) and LBR (OR 0.79, CI 0.6–1.05) in the two groups were comparable.
Conclusion
Clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate after embryo transfer performed by attending staffs or fellows are comparable. This finding reassures fellowship programs that allowing fellows to perform embryo transfers does not compromise the outcome.