The effect of sequential embryo transfer on pregnancy outcomes in patients with recurrent implantation failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the impact of sequential embryo transfer on pregnancy outcomes among patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF).

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across various databases for eligible clinical trials from inception to January 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they compared sequential embryo transfer, comprising both cleavage-stage and blastocyst-stage embryos, with other transfer protocols in infertile women with repeated implantation failure. Meta-analysis was performed using Revman software. Our primary focus was on the ongoing pregnancy rate. Our secondary measures included rates of chemical pregnancies, clinical pregnancies, miscarriages, and multiple pregnancies.

Results: Seven RCTs, encompassing 909 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Sequential embryo transfer demonstrated a significant increase in the ongoing pregnancy rate compared to the control group (OR = 2.28, 95% CI [1.46, 3.56], p = 0.003). Moreover, the sequential embryo transfer group exhibited notable improvements in chemical and clinical pregnancy rates. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding multiple pregnancy and miscarriage rates (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: Sequential embryo transfer shows promise in enhancing pregnancy outcomes among RIF patients. However, additional trials are warranted to validate our findings.