The Usefulness of Ultrasound Guidance in Fresh Embryo Transfers: A Retrospective Study

Objective: To evaluate retrospectively the efficacy of ultrasound-guided embryo transfer method on pregnancy and implantationrate and compare with clinical touch method. Material and methods: The results of 582 cycles from our in vitro fertilizationand embryo transfer (IVF-ET) program conducted at Jaipur Fertility Centre, an Infertility Unit of Mahatma Gandhi Universityof Medical Sciences and Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan were analyzed retrospectively and comparison was made between thosecarried out using ultrasound guidance and those by clinical touch method. Results: Higher pregnancy and implantation rates(37.19% and 19.66%, respectively) were found in the group using the transabdominal ultrasound guidance during ET comparedwith those in the group using the clinical touch method (30.92% and 16.22%, respectively). The difference was not statisticallysignificant. Conclusion: Older women (>35 years) and in the subgroup when the clinician rated the transfer procedure aseasy with some difficulty, there appeared to be a substantial improvement in the pregnancy rate and the difference wasstatistically significant. We believe that ultrasound-guided ET should be used in these subgroups.