Abstract

To evaluate the effect of local injury to the endometrium on the day of oocyte retrieval on implantation and pregnancy rates in assisted reproductive cycles. In a prospective controlled trial, a total of 156 patients, < 38 years old, in their first in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle were randomized. In 77 patients, two small endometrial samples from anterior and posterior walls of uterus were obtained with a Novak curette on the day of oocyte retrieval and in 79 patients no intervention was performed. The experimental and control patients were matched regarding women's age, body mass index, basal FSH, duration and etiology of infertility, treatment protocol, number of retrieved oocyte, endometrial thickness, percentage of intracytoplasmic sperm injection performance, fertilization rate, the percentage of patients with good and top quality embryos, and the number of embryos transferred. The implantation rate (7.9 vs. 22.9), clinical (12.3 vs. 32.9; odds ratio = 0.25; 95 confidence interval = 0.12-0.66; p < 0.05) and ongoing pregnancy (9.6 vs. 29.1; odds ratio = 0.25; 95 confidence interval = 0.10-0.64; p < 0.05) rates were significantly lower in experimental group, compared with 79 controls. According to the results of this study, local injury to the endometrium on the day of oocyte retrieval disrupts the receptive endometrium and has a negative impact on implantation and IVF outcomes.