Cost and efficacy comparison of in vitro fertilization and tubal anastomosis for women after tubal ligation.

OBJECTIVE: To compare cost and efficacy of tubal anastomosis to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women who desired fertility after a tubal ligation. DESIGN: Cost-effectiveness analysis. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENT(S): Not applicable. INTERVENTION(S): Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cost per ongoing pregnancy. RESULT(S): Cost per ongoing pregnancy for women after tubal anastomosis ranged from $16,446 to $223,482 (2014 USD), whereas IVF ranged from $32,902 to $111,679 (2014 USD). Across maternal age groups <35 and 35-40, years tubal anastomosis was more cost effective than IVF for ongoing pregnancy. Sensitivity analyses validated these findings across a wide range of ongoing pregnancy probabilities as well as costs per procedure. CONCLUSION(S): Tubal anastomosis was the most cost-effective approach for most women less than 41 years of age, whereas IVF was the most cost-effective approach for women aged ≥41 years who desired fertility after tubal ligation. A model was created that can be modified based on cost and success rates in individual clinics for improved patient counseling.

The estimated annual cost of uterine leiomyomata in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate the total annual societal cost of uterine fibroid tumors in the United States, based on direct and indirect costs that include associated obstetric complications. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to estimate the number of women who seek treatment for symptomatic fibroid tumors annually, the costs of medical and surgical treatment, the amount of work time lost, and obstetric complications that are attributable to fibroid tumors. Total annual costs were converted to 2010 US dollars. A sensitivity analysis was performed. RESULTS: The estimated annual direct costs (surgery, hospital admissions, outpatient visits, and medications) were $4.1-9.4 billion. Estimated lost work-hour costs ranged from $1.55-17.2 billion annually. Obstetric outcomes that were attributed to fibroid tumors resulted in a cost of $238 million to $7.76 billion annually. Uterine fibroid tumors were estimated to cost the United States $5.9-34.4 billion annually. CONCLUSION: Obstetric complications that are associated with fibroid tumors contributed significantly to their economic burden. Lost work-hour costs may account for the largest proportion of societal costs because of fibroid tumors.

The effect of air bubble position after blastocyst transfer on pregnancy rates in IVF cycles.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between air bubble position after blastocyst transfer (BT) and pregnancy rates (PRs). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: University-based infertility center. PATIENT(S): Three hundred fifteen consecutive nondonor BTs by a single provider. INTERVENTION(S): Catheters were loaded with 25 µL of culture media, 20 µL of air, 25 µL of media containing the blastocysts, 20 µL of air, and a small amount of additional media. The distance from the air bubble to the fundus, as seen on abdominal ultrasound examination, was measured at the time of transfer. Air bubble location was categorized as <10 mm, 10-20 mm, and >20 mm from the fundus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Clinical pregnancy rate. RESULT(S): After controlling for age, parity, FSH and frozen transfers, and accounting for repeated cycles per patient, the PRs for both the >20-mm (38.3%) and the 10-20-mm (42.0%) from the fundus group were significantly reduced compared with the group in which the bubble was <10 mm from the fundus (62.5%). CONCLUSION(S): This study is the first to suggest that BT closer to the fundus is associated with higher PR. Although no ectopic pregnancies occurred in the <10-mm group, this outcome should be monitored closely in larger studies.

Insurance mandates, embryo transfer, outcomes--the link is tenuous.

To examine the relationship between state insurance mandate status and the number of embryos transferred in assisted reproductive technology cycles, we conducted a retrospective analysis of clinics reporting to the publicly available national Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology registry. We found that clinics in states with comprehensive mandates transferred between 0.210 and 0.288 fewer embryos per cycle depending upon patient age, and were more likely to transfer fewer embryos than recommended for older women; however, the relationship between state mandate status and clinic birth and multiple birth rates varied by age group.

The effects of competition on assisted reproductive technology outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between competition among fertility clinics and assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment outcomes, particularly multiple births. DESIGN: Using clinic-level data from 1995 to 2001, we examined the relationship between competition and clinic-level ART outcomes and practice patterns. SETTING: National database registry. PATIENT(S): Clinics performing ART. INTERVENTION(S): The number of clinics within a 20-mile (32.19-km) radius of a given clinic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Clinic-level births, singleton births, and multiple births per ART cycle; multiple births per ART birth; average number of embryos transferred per cycle; and the proportion of cycles for women under age 35 years. RESULT(S): The number of competing clinics is not strongly associated with ART birth and multiple birth rates. Relative to clinics with no competitors, the rate of multiple births per cycle is lower (-0.03 percentage points) only for clinics with more than 15 competitors. Embryo transfer practices are not statistically significantly associated with the number of competitors. Clinic-level competition is strongly associated with patient mix. The proportion of cycles for patients under 35 years old is 6.4 percentage points lower for clinics with more than 15 competitors than for those with no competitors. CONCLUSION(S): Competition among fertility clinics does not appear to increase rates of multiple births from ART by promoting more aggressive embryo transfer decisions.

Cost analysis model of outpatient management of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome with paracentesis: "tap early and often" versus hospitalization.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cost of two treatment regimens for moderate to severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): conservative inpatient versus outpatient management with paracentesis. DESIGN: A decision-tree mathematical model comparing conservative inpatient versus outpatient management of moderate to severe OHSS was created. The common final pathway of either management was resolution of OHSS. Sensitivity analyses were performed over the range of variables. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Total management cost of OHSS. RESULT(S): The cost of conservative therapy including first-tier complications was $10,099 (range $9,655-$15,044). The cost of outpatient management with paracentesis was $1954 (range $788-$12,041). This resulted in an estimated cost savings of $8145 with outpatient management with paracentesis. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed. Varying the probability of admission after outpatient treatment still indicated that outpatient treatment was the most cost-effective (probability = 1.0, cost = $6110). Varying the duration of hospitalization with primary inpatient treatment was equal to outpatient treatment costs only at a stay of 0.71 days or shorter. CONCLUSION(S): Our model suggests early outpatient paracentesis for moderate to severe OHSS is the most cost-effective management plan when compared with traditional conservative inpatient therapy. The cost savings for outpatient management persisted throughout a variety of outcome probabilities.

The combined effect of age and basal follicle-stimulating hormone on the cost of a live birth at assisted reproductive technology.

OBJECTIVE: To predict the cost of a delivery following assisted reproductive technologies (ART). DESIGN: Cost analysis based on retrospective chart analysis. SETTING: University-based ART program. PATIENT(S): Women aged >or=26 and

Obstetric outcomes in donor oocyte pregnancies compared with advanced maternal age in in vitro fertilization pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate obstetric complications in women who conceived through donated oocytes compared with women who conceived through assisted reproduction using autologous oocytes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING: Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Lucille Packard Children's hospital, both tertiary referral centers. PATIENT(S): A cohort of 71 oocyte recipients who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) were compared to all women over 38 years who conceived through IVF with autologous oocytes (n = 108) between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005, at Stanford University and subsequently delivered infants at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital. INTERVENTION(S): Assisted reproductive technology with donor oocytes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Obstetric charts of the donor-oocyte recipients were compared for all women over 38 years old who had conceived through IVF with autologous oocytes at the same center (n = 108) and delivered at the same hospital during the same time period. Perinatal complications including preeclampsia, diabetes, preterm labor, preterm premature rupture of membranes and placental abnormalities, mode of delivery, presentation, Apgar scores, gestational age at delivery, and weight were compared between the groups. RESULT(S): Oocyte recipients and autologous oocyte controls had similar rates of complications of prematurity, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and placental abnormalities. Infant birth weights and gestational age at time of delivery were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION(S): This study suggests that women undergoing IVF with donor oocytes are not at increased risk for complications during pregnancy or at increased immediate neonatal complications compared with women of advanced maternal age undergoing IVF with autologous oocytes.

Insurance mandates and trends in infertility treatments.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between insurance mandates and the utilization and outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). DESIGN: Using clinic-level data from 1990 to 2001, we examined differences between states with and without insurance mandates in rates of utilization and outcomes of ART using multivariable least squares regression. SETTING: National clinic registry data. PATIENT(S): Clinics performing ART, no patient-level data. INTERVENTION(S): The type of insurance mandate in each state during each year of the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cycles per 1,000 women aged 25-44 years, live births per 1,000 cycles, and multiple births per live ART birth. RESULT(S): Use of ART grew rapidly during the 1990 s and grew most quickly in states that adopted comprehensive insurance mandates. Compared with states without mandates, births per cycle were 4% lower and multiples per ART birth were 2% lower in states with comprehensive mandates. CONCLUSION(S): Comprehensive insurance mandates are associated with greater utilization of ART and lower rates of births per cycle and multiple births per ART birth. Whether the differences in outcomes are due to differences in embryo transfer practices or to patient characteristics is unclear.

Comparison of obstetric outcomes in recipients of donor oocytes vs. women of advanced maternal age with autologous oocytes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate obstetric complications in women conceiving with donated oocytes as compared to controls of advanced maternal age. STUDY DESIGN: We compared the obstetric outcomes of a cohort of 69 women who conceived through oocyte donation to all women over 38 years old (n = 681) who delivered at the same hospital in the same period. We first compared obstetric complications and outcomes in the entire cohort. Additional comparisons were made while controlling for multiple covariates: maternal and fetal complications, mode of delivery, estimated gestational age and infant weight at delivery. RESULTS: Women who conceived with donor oocytes were older than controls. In the cohort, oocyte recipients were at increased risk for several obstetric complications. However, when controlling for age and multiple gestations, only preterm labor, preeclampsia and protracted labor were increased in oocyte recipients. CONCLUSION: Women who conceive with donor oocytes might be at increased risk of complications during pregnancy. When age and multiple gestations are accounted for, these patients remain at risk for preterm labor, preeclampsia and protracted labor requiring cesarean delivery.

Rupture of ectopic pregnancy with minimally detectable beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels: a report of 2 cases.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that 25-77% of ectopic pregnancies spontaneously resolve with expectant management. However, expectant management is controversial and should be considered only for patients with small, unruptured gestational sacs, low beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) levels and absence of symptoms. There is no consensus on how long to follow such patients. CASES: Two patients with beta-hCG levels < 10 mIU/mL presented with ruptured ectopic pregnancy and hemoperitoneum. CONCLUSION: While expectant management of a suspected ectopic pregnancy may allow spontaneous resolution of such an ectopic pregnancy, rupture may occur at any time and even with extremely low beta-hCG levels. Patients need to be counseled about the risks of rupture and symptoms, immediate action should be taken if symptoms develop, and serum beta-hCG levels should be followed to zero.

Monochorionic triplet gestation after in vitro fertilization using donor oocytes: case report and review.

OBJECTIVE: To report on a patient with a monochorionic triamnionic triplet pregnancy after IVF with donor oocytes. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Academic tertiary care hospital. PATIENT(S): A 42-year-old woman who underwent IVF with donor oocytes. INTERVENTION(S): After failed IVF attempts, the patient chose to undergo treatment with donor oocytes. Her 23-year-old oocyte donor underwent standard controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Retrieved oocytes were fertilized in vitro, and two embryos were transferred at the blastocyst stage. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Intrauterine pregnancy with single gestational sac and three fetal poles with cardiac activity. RESULT(S): After extensive counseling with perinatologists about pregnancy complications, the patient elected to terminate at 10 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSION(S): Several processes have been suggested to explain the increase in monozygotic twinning after IVF. These factors include advanced maternal age, superovulation, manipulation of the zona pellucida, and prolonged culture. It is possible that other factors may also play a role, especially in high-order monozygotic multiple pregnancies. All patients should be informed of the potential risk of a high-order multiple pregnancy after IVF, even when only one or two embryos are transferred.