Dramatic declines in implantation and pregnancy rates in patients who undergo repeated cycles of in vitro fertilization with blastocyst transfer after one or more failed attempts.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcome of second and third cycles of in vitro fertilization with blastocyst transfer to the outcome of first attempts at IVF with blastocyst transfer.

DESIGN: Retrospective study.

SETTING: Private ART center.

PATIENT(S): Three hundred and four patients undergoing treatment with in vitro fertilization with blastocyst transfer, 87 of which underwent at least one cycle of re-treatment after failing to achieve pregnancy in their first cycle.

INTERVENTION(S): Bipronucleate oocytes were grown for up to 144 hours and subsequently transferred when at least one embryo attained the expanded blastocyst stage.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Pregnancy and implantation rates.

RESULT(S): Pregnancy rates per retrieval were significantly higher for patients undergoing their first cycle of in vitro fertilization with blastocyst transfer (36%) compared to those undergoing their second (19%) or their third (9%) cycles of treatment. Implantation rates per embryo were also higher for first cycles of in vitro fertilization with blastocyst transfer (30%) compared to second (18%) or third cycles (8%).

CONCLUSION(S): Pregnancy and implantation rates decline dramatically in repeated cycles of in vitro fertilization with blastocyst transfer following one or more unsuccessful cycles of in vitro fertilization with blastocyst transfer.