Hyaluronan-enriched transfer medium improves outcome in patients with multiple embryo transfer failures

Abstract

Purpose To ascertain whether the use of hyaluronanenriched transfer medium (HETM) improves pregnancy and implantation rates among embryo transfer patients with a history of multiple implantation failures. Methods Patients (n0314) under the age of 40 and with a history of multiple unsuccessful embryo transfers were enrolled. There were three groups of patients: those undergoing fresh embryo transfer (fresh ET [n0111]), those undergoing vitrified-warmed ET in the natural cycle (WET-N [n0101]) and those undergoing WET in a hormone replacement cycle (WET-H [n0102]). On the day of ET, patients were randomized to HETM (0.5 mg/ml hyaluronan) or control medium containing no hyaluronan. Only patients with good quality embryos on day 3 were included. Results For all three patients groups (fresh ET, WET-N and WET-H) pregnancy rates (37.5 %, 31.4 % and 41.2 %, respectively) were significantly higher when using HETM compared with control medium (10.9 %, 10.0 % and 15.7 %, respectively; p<0.05), and implantation rates when using HETM were also significantly higher compared with control medium (p<0.05). Miscarriage rates were similar in both groups. Conclusion HETM significantly increased pregnancy and implantation rates among embryo transfer patients with a history of multiple unsuccessful implantations- regardless of method used to prepare the endometrium. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.