Prognostic factors in patients continuing in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment and dropouts

Objective: To investigate whether cumulative pregnancy rates using life tab le analysis but without considering dropouts are representative of the whol e population of patients entering an in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intrac ytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) program. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: University hospital-based infertility center. Patient(s): One thousand one hundred sixty-nine patients entering our IVF/I CSI program from January 1993 to December 1996. Intervention(s): Comparison of prognostic factors between pregnant and nonp regnant patients, and between patients continuing IVF/ICSI treatment and dr opouts. Main Outcome Measure(s): Prognostic factors, such as patient age, cancellat ion of oocyte retrieval because of poor response to ovarian stimulation, nu mber of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, number and quality of embryo s transferred. Result(s): No statistical differences in prognostic factors were found betw een patients continuing IVF/ICSI treatment and dropouts. Conclusion(s): Cumulative pregnancy rates using life table analysis can be considered representative of the whole population of patients for at least the first three treatment cycles. (Fertil Steril(R) 1999;72:674-8. (C) 1999 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.).