The goal of this clinical trial was to determine whether rotating the embryo transfer catheter through 360° during its withdrawal improves pregnancy outcomes in women aged 20-35 years undergoing fresh day-3 embryo transfer as part of assisted reproductive treatment. The main questions it aimed to answer were:
Does 360° catheter rotation during withdrawal increase the clinical pregnancy rate, defined as the ultrasound confirmation of an intrauterine gestational sac? Does 360° catheter rotation during withdrawal increase the chemical pregnancy rate, defined by a positive pregnancy test?
Researchers compared embryo transfer with 360° catheter rotation during catheter withdrawal with embryo transfer without catheter rotation to determine whether this technique improves pregnancy outcomes.
Participants were:
Undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation, oocyte retrieval, fertilization, and fresh transfer of two day-3 embryos.
Being randomly assigned to either 360° catheter rotation during withdrawal or standard catheter withdrawal without rotation.
Undergoing pregnancy testing after embryo transfer. Undergoing an ultrasound examination to confirm clinical pregnancy if the pregnancy test was positive.