Influence of body mass index on in vitro fertilization outcome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the body mass index on the outcome of in vitro fertilization in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Material and Methods. The study sample consisted of 123 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome who completed their in vitro fertilization treatment at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinical Center Nis, Republic of Serbia, and they were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided by body mass index into two groups for the comparison of the findings. One group (normal weight) consisted of women with body mass index ? 25 kg/m2 (mean 22.08?1.90), and the other group (overweight) included women with body mass index > 25 kg/m2 (mean 27.65?1.47). The patients underwent either the standard long gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist protocol or flexible multidose gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol. Results. The normal-weight patients had a higher number of mature oocytes, significantly higher fertilization rate (p<0.001) and significantly higher number of the obtained embryos class I (p<0.01) than the overweight patients. However, the implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate were the same in both groups. Conclusion. In the group of overweight women the numbers of mature oocytes and good quality embryos were lower. However, since this study dealt with the patients with polycystic ovary syndrome who generally had a higher number of the obtained oocytes and embryos, this shortfall did not affect clinical pregnancy rates, which were the same in both groups. Certainly, before starting the in vitro fertilization, each infertile patient should be informed about the possible negative effect of her high body mass index on the treatment outcome.