Ozlem Gun Eryilmaz - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women Education and Research Hospital, Mithatpasa cad. Hamamonu, Ankara, Turkey
Esma Sarikaya - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women Education and Research Hospital, Mithatpasa cad. Hamamonu, Ankara, Turkey
Melike Doganay - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women Education and Research Hospital, Mithatpasa cad. Hamamonu, Ankara, Turkey
Leyla Mollamahmutoglu - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women Education and Research Hospital, Mithatpasa cad. Hamamonu, Ankara, Turkey

Background: Prolonged GnRH-a administration in IVF cycles may have some advantages related to the treatment outcomes. Objective: In this study, we aimed to analyse the effect of prolonged gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) administration on controlled ovarian hyperstimulation outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 55 patients with a GnRH-a administration period more than 10 days were compared with 55 patients whose same period was ≤10 days with respect to the demographic characteristics, metaphase II (MII) oocyte ratio, grade I (GI) embryo ratio, blastocyst ratio, fertilization, implantation, and the clinical pregnancy rates. Results: The mean hospital visit count of the prolonged GnRH-a patients was 2.6±0.4. As we expected, total GnRH-a doses used during hypophyseal down regulation were significantly different between the groups (p<0.0001). MII oocyte, G1 embryo and the blastocyst ratios were also significantly different between the groups (p<0.0001; p<0.01 and p<0.05). All the other parameters were insignificant. Conclusion: Prolonged GnRH-a administration during ovarian suppression in IVF patients may have positive impacts on the oocytes and the embryos, but this affect may not be observed in the overall pregnancy rates.

GnRH agonist, IVF outcome, Embryo quality