Journal of the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy

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Add-ons in IVF programme – Hype or Hope?

A.K. Datta, S. Campbell, B. Deval, G. Nargund

CREATE Fertility, 150 Cheapside, St Pauls, London EC2V 6ET, United Kingdom.

Correspondence at: Adrija@createfertility.co.uk

Keywords:

Adjuvants, assisted conception, assisted reproduction, IVF, over-treatment, malpractice, technology


Published online: Jan 11 2016

Abstract

A series of new technologies and adjuvant therapies have been advocated in order to improve the success of IVF treatment. Dehydro-epiandrostenedione, growth hormones, Coenzyme Q 10, calcium ionosphores, immune therapy, heparin, low-dose aspirin, and vasodilators are among commonly prescribed pharmacological adjuvants. New technologies that are proposed to improve IVF outcomes include advanced sperm selection procedures, time-lapse embryo monitoring, preimplantation genetic screening, assisted hatching endometrial injury or embryo-glue. This review looked into current evidence to justify the use of these co-interventions and whether some of them can still be offered while awaiting more robust evidence to confirm or refute their role.