High success with gestational carriers and oocyte donors using synchronized cycles

Abstract

Our purpose was to determine if exogenous hormone stimulation of the endometrium improves the implantation and pregnancy rate with a host uterus or gestational carrier. Nine couples underwent 14 embryo transfer cycles with a gestational carrier. The median age was 31.3 years for the infertile women donating the oocytes and 36.6 years for the gestational carriers. Eight pregnancies were achieved documented by ultrasound confirmation of cardiac activity. The pregnancy rate was 64.3%, with 1.6 cycles per patient. We show that synchronized exogenous hormone stimulation of the gestational carrier improves the success rate of embryo transfer. When the success rate is compared to a timed embryo transfer with the gestational carrier's natural cycle, from previous reported studies, exogenous hormonal stimulation appears to enhance endometrial receptivity and improve the implantation rate.