ABSTRACT

The first live birth resulting from in-vitro fertilization (IVF) occurred in 19781 and, since then, over 2 million IVF babies have been born worldwide. IVF success rates have steadily improved over the years2 and nowadays exceed spontaneous conception rates in fertile couples3. However, ovarian stimulation protocols are associated with high costs, daily injections of gonadotropins, and close monitoring, and carry a significant risk of causing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)4,5. Papanikolaou et al.6 found that the incidence of patients undergoing IVF requiring hospitalization for OHSS was 2%; in exceptional cases, where OHSS appropriate care is not given, it may even be fatal7.