New stimulation regimens: endogenous and exogenous progesterone use to block the LH surge during ovarian stimulation for IVF

<span class="paragraphSection"><div class="boxTitle">Abstract</div><div class="boxTitle">BACKGROUND</div>The advent of embryo and oocyte vitrification today gives reproductive specialists an opportunity to consider new strategies for improving the practice and results of IVF attempts. As the freezing of entire cohorts does not compromise, and may even improve, the results of IVF attempts, it is possible to break away from the standard sequence of stimulation–retrieval–transfer. The constraints associated with ovarian stimulation in relation to the potential harmful effects of the hormonal environment on endometrial receptivity can be avoided.<div class="boxTitle">OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE</div>This review will look at the new stimulation protocols where progesterone is used to block the LH surge. Thanks to ‘freeze all’ strategies, the increase in progesterone could actually be no longer a cause for concern. There are two ways of using progesterone, whether it be endogenous, as in luteal phase stimulation, or exogenous, as in the use of progesterone in the follicular phase i.e. progestin primed ovarian stimulation.<div class="boxTitle">SEARCH METHODS</div>A literature search was carried out (until September 2016) on MEDLINE. The following text words were utilized to generate the list of citations: progestin primed ovarian stimulation, luteal phase stimulation, luteal stimulation, duostim, double stimulation, random st...
Source: Human Reproduction Update - Category: OBGYN Source Type: research