Do trained reproductive endocrinologists perform better than their trainees? Comparing clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates after transfer of single fresh blastocysts.

PURPOSE: To compare clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates of single blastocyst transfers performed by attending physicians or fellows in reproductive endocrinology and infertility program.

METHODS: Retrospective study in an academic reproductive center. We evaluated 932 fresh single blastocyst transfer cycles performed by fellows in training (389 embryo transfers) and by attending physicians (543 embryo transfers).

RESULTS: There were no differences in the baseline characteristics and IVF cycle parameters between patients who had transfers performed by fellows or attending physicians. Transfers performed by attending physicians or fellows resulted in similar CPR (46.5 vs. 42.9%, p = 0.28) and LBR (38.3 vs. 34.2%, p = 0.11). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that even after adjusting for possible confounders (age, gravity, parity, baseline FSH, antral follicle count, dose of gonadotropins, stimulation protocol, and quality of embryo transferred), CPR (OR 0.81, CI 0.62-1.07) and LBR (OR 0.79, CI 0.6-1.05) in the two groups were comparable.

CONCLUSION: Clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate after embryo transfer performed by attending staffs or fellows are comparable. This finding reassures fellowship programs that allowing fellows to perform embryo transfers does not compromise the outcome.