Assisted reproductive technology in Egypt, 2003–2004: Results generated from the Egyptian IVF registry

ObjectiveTo summarize the results of ART procedures cycles initiated in Egypt during the years 2003–2004.DesignThe forms, prepared by the International Committee Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART), were distributed to all IVF centers in Egypt.ParticipantsAll IVF centers in Egypt were invited to voluntarily participate.Main outcome measuresThe total number of standard IVF, ICSI, FET after standard IVF and ICSI cycles, incidence of clinical pregnancy, abortion, delivery, stillbirth and complications rates.ResultsData were anonymously received from 18 centers in 2003 and 15 centers in 2004, with a total of 16,862 reported cycles. ICSI constituted 91.9%; frozen-thawed embryo replacement cycles represented 7.0%, while IVF constituted only 1.0% of the total number of ART cycles.For ICSI, the clinical pregnancy rates per aspiration and per transfer were 38% and 42%, respectively. The distribution of singleton, twin, triplet and high-order deliveries for IVF, ICSI and FET combined was 62.5, 21.8, and 2.4, respectively. This gives a total multiple delivery rates of 24.2%. As a result of ART activities, 2656 neonates were reported born.Complications of ART were mainly ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, complicating 1.75% of cycles; the occurrence of bleeding in 0.4% and infection in 0.03% of all aspiration cycles.ConclusionsThese are the fourth and fifth consecutive reports of the activities of the Egyptian IVF registry for cycles initiated during the years 2003–2004. The clinical pregnancy rates were comparable with the previous reports. The multiple pregnancy rate is still higher than would be desired, as a result of the proportion of women receiving high number of embryos (⩾3 embryos) per transfer. OHSS is also high and therefore preventative measures must be stricter. More efforts are needed to complete data on deliveries and perinatal mortalities.