Multiplying recipients paired with oocyte donors optimizes the use of donated oocytes

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To review donor-egg assisted reproductive technology (ART) activity using young fertile donors (<37 years of age) paired with multiple recipients. DESIGN: Age-matched cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary ART center at Cochin Hospital, Paris. PATIENT(S): A total of 125 oocyte donors and 361 age-matched control subjects. Donated oocytes were attributed to 163 different recipients undertaking 258 transfer cycles. INTERVENTION(S): Donor-egg and regular ART. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) outcome-oocytes provided-was compared in donors and control subjects. Clinical pregnancy (cPR), ongoing pregnancy (oPR), and implantation (IR) rates per transfer in recipients were compared with age-matched controls. IRs were analyzed in the various recipients as a function of the number of oocytes harvested. RESULT(S): COH outcome was similar in donors and control subjects. cPR (37.5%), oPR (28.4%), and IR (24.4%) were slightly but significantly lower in donor-egg recipients compared with control subjects (44.9%, 37.4%, and 31.8%, respectively). More embryos (average +2.06) were transferred fresh and fewer frozen. In recipients, IRs were independent from the number of oocytes received in the donor. CONCLUSION(S): Multiplying recipients paired with oocyte donors slightly lowered per-transfer outcome, but enabled more (average +2.06) embryos to be transferred fresh.