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Abstract
Study question: In women undergoing artificial endometrial preparation for frozen embryo transfer treatments, do serum progesterone levels on the day of transfer influence the clinical pregnancy rate? Summary Answer: This study shows that serum progesterone measurement prior to embryo transfer is a useful tool for optimizing serum progesterone values in artificial endometrial preparation cycles. Given that the results in pregnancy rates among patients with adequate serum levels were similar to those in which correction was made after presenting low levels of progesterone before the transfer What is already known: Previous studies have shown that there is a minimum serum concentration of progesterone in endometrial preparation cycles below which the success rate decreases. This arises from data linking a higher level of circulating progesterone with higher live birth rates and a lower risk of miscarriage in cryopreserved embryo transfer cycles. However, the results in terms of cut-off point and optimal scheme are contradictory. Study design: Retrospective cohort study Material and methods: 205 patients who underwent artificial preparation of the endometrium for transfer of cryopreserved embryos with their own or oocyte donation between March 2022 and June 2022 at the Gamma Institute, in Rosario, Santa Fe, were included. Information was obtained from the electronic medical record of each patient. Results: The mean progesterone on the day of embryo transfer in serum was 16.9 ng/ml. Higher plasma values were achieved with the vaginal route of administration. In 24 patients, progesterone was at values less than 9.2 ng/ml on the day of transfer, in all cases it was supplemented and the values 72 hours later showed a value higher than that figure in 100% of cases. Reproductive results with supplementation were comparable to those where initial progesterone was greater than 9.2 ng/ml initially. Study limitations: The main limitation of the study is the low number of patients included and its retrospective design.
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