Oocyte pick up day mucus removal: Does it have a positive effect on pregnancy rates?

Abstract

Aim: Mucus removal that would be done on the day of embryo transfer could be done on Oocyte pick up(OPU) day, and this practice might be related with better pregnancy rates since it is unlikely to cause uterine contractions during the embryo transfer. We compared the effects of mucus removal done on OPU day, transfer day or no removal at all on success rates of the treatment in three groups. Material and Method: We designed a prospective match control study. There were 131 cycles in which mucus removal was done on either OPU day or embryo transfer day (64 and 67 cycles respectively) and in 411 cycles mucus removal was not done, and these patients constituted the control group. Results: After mucus removal on OPU day, mucus removal on embryo transfer day and no mucus removal done at all, pregnancy rates were calculated as 40,6%, 29,9%, and 23,1% respectively and the difference among the groups was statistically significant (p=0,009). Discussion: Mucus removal on OPU day or on embryo transfer day improves pregnancy rates. It can be included in the routine practice, since it may potentially minimize cervical trauma and uterine contractions and thus improve success in IVF/ICSI treatments.