Factors useful in predicting the success of oocyte donation: a 3-year retrospective analysis

Objective: To establish prognostic relevance of parameters assessed in oocy te donation cycles. Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting: Large university-based donor oocyte program. Patient(s): All oocyte recipient cycles achieving embryo transfer from Sept ember 1995 to October 1998. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Pregnancy. Result(s): Recipient age and reproductive status, day 9 and 12 serum estrad iol (E-2) levels and a progesterone (P) level obtained 2 days after initiat ion of hormonal therapy did not correlate with pregnancy. Endometrial thick ness, but not endometrial pattern, was useful in predicting pregnancy outco me. The clinical pregnancy and live-birth rate in cycles where the endometr ial thickness was less than s mm was significantly lower when compared to c ycles with an endometrial thickness greater than or equal to9 mm. Cycles wh ere optimal quality embryos were transferred had the highest implantation ( 36%), clinical pregnancy (63%) and live birth (54%) rates and these rates w ere significantly higher than those of cycles where only poor quality embry os were available for transfer (10% implantation, 17% clinical pregnancy, a nd 8% Live birth rates, respectively; P < .05). Conclusion(s): The most reliable predictive factors for pregnancy in oocyte donation cycles are the quality of the embryos transferred and the recipie nt's mid-cycle endometrial thickness. Recipient monitoring should minimally include ultrasound assessment of endometrial thickness. (C) 2001 by Americ an Society for Reproductive Medicine.