Patients with three or less dominant follicles may not be associated with reduced pregnancy rate of in vitro fertilization treatment

ObjectivesThe management of poor ovarian responders remains a great challenge in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. This study compared implantation and pregnancy rates among women who developed ≤3 dominant follicles of ≥16 mm in diameter and those who had >3 dominant follicles after ovarian stimulation.Study designRetrospective study.ResultsOut of 911 consecutive patients receiving ovarian stimulation between January 2000 and December 2002, 894 (98.1%) patients underwent oocyte retrieval. Women with ≤3 dominant follicles were significantly older, required a longer duration and a higher dosage of gonadotrophin but produced lesser number of developing follicles, number of oocytes aspirated and number of embryos frozen when compared with those with >3 dominant follicles. Despite a significantly higher percentage of non-elective single embryo transfer in women with ≤3 dominant follicles, implantation rate, pregnancy rate and pregnancy outcomes were comparable for women with ≤3 and >3 dominant follicles.ConclusionImplantation and pregnancy rates appeared to be comparable for women who developed ≤3 and >3 dominant follicles during IVF treatment.