The effect of bromocriptine-rebound method on ongoing pregnancy and live birth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles: a randomized clinical trial

Purpose: To assess whether bromocriptine-rebound method (BRM) can improve pregnancy outcomes compared to long protocol after intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles (ICSIs). Materials and Methods: A total of 114 women underwent ICSI. Pregnancy outcomes and hormonal data were compared between two groups, i.e. long protocol and BRM. Ovulatory women with normal serum prolactin levels were assigned to either BRM (n = 57 cycles) or long protocol (n = 57 cycles). Both procedures were carried out in a similar way. However, a group of patients were given bromocriptine daily from the 4th day of the preceding cycle until 7 days before gonadotropin stimulation. Results: There were no significant differences in the numbers of developed follicles,total retrieval oocytes, transferredembryo and embryos with superior morphology between the two groups. Also, the values of chemical, clinical and ongoing pregnancies and live births were not significantly different (36.8%, 35.1%, 28.1%, 28.1% in BRM group and 43.9%, 38.6%, 21.1% and 19.3% in long protocol, respectively). Ongoing pregnancy and live birth were significantly higher in chemical pregnancy in the BRM group (P = .04 and P = .035, respectively). Conclusion: This prospective study demonstrated that BRM might lead to higher ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates compared to the long protocol in women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles.