Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome- An optimal solution for an unresolved enigma

Abstract

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a serious complication of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). The syndrome almost always presents either after hCG administration in susceptible patients or during early pregnancy. Despite many years of clinical experience, there are no precise methods to completely prevent severe OHSS, except by withholding the ovulation-inducing trigger of hCG. Recently, COH which combining GnRH antagonist co-treatment and GnRH agonist trigger has become a common tool aiming to eliminate severe early OHSS. However, the observed decrease in implantation and pregnancy rates following this approach has encouraged different modifications of luteal support aiming to improve outcome. One of the suggest approach is the 1500 IU hCG luteal rescue, which appears to be a promising protocol, aiming to reduce (rather than eliminating) severe early OHSS, without compromising outcome. In the present paper we discuss the different suggested strategies and offer a strict triage, aimed at eliminating the occurrence of severe OHSS based on several clinical observations, including the role of GnRH-antagonist in COH protocols, the use of different luteal rescue protocols and the ability to transfer embryos in the blastocyst stage. © 2013 Orvieto; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.