RECIPIENTS AGE DOES NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT PREGNANCY OUTCOME AFTER OOCYTE DONATION

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to examine the effect of the recipient's ag e on pregnancy and miscarriage rates after oocyte donation. STUDY DESI GN: A retrospective analysis of 307 consecutively performed donor oocy te cycles was undertaken. Recipients were divided into two groups: you nger group less than or equal to 42 years old (165 cycles) versus olde r group > 42 years old (145 cycles). Pregnancy outcomes between groups were compared. Confounding variables such as donor and cycle characte ristics, recipient characteristics, and male parameters were also exam ined. RESULTS: Both groups had the same incidence (6%) of failed ferti lization cycles. At least one embryo was transferred in the remaining 286 cycles. Ongoing or delivered pregnancy rates per embryo transfer w ere similar for younger and older groups (30.2% vs 30.6%). Differences in miscarriage rates were not statistically significant (9.8% vs 16.3 %). There were no differences in the cycle parameters related to donor age, number of oocytes aspirated, number of oocytes fertilized, and n umber of embryos transferred. Donor sperm was more frequently utilized in the older group (19 vs 4 cycles, p = 0.0002). In the remaining cyc les male partners of older recipients were significantly older (37.9 /- 0.5 years vs 43.9 +/- 0.6 years, p < 0.0001), but there were no dif ferences in semen parameters or fertilization rates. Older recipients were more likely to be parous but also to have experienced a previous miscarriage. CONCLUSION: Recipient age does not adversely affect cycle outcome with donor oocytes. This implies that aging of the uterus is not of clinical significance to patients electing this method of infer tility treatment.