Couples that are ready to undergo IVF treatment usually have a common question: “what are our chances of success?” The answer that must be given is sometimes quite complicated and the interpretation even more vague. That is why a percentage number hardly has meaning if that number does not specify:

1. what does it pertain to (positive pregnancy test, pregnancy, or delivery)
2. what does it regard (ovarian response, oocyte retrieval, or embryo transfer)
3. where the statistics were presented (USA, UK, or the medical center the couple is to undergo IVF)

The best way to express the results, in order for them to be comparable for IVF outcome, is per embryo transfer, which pertains to the highest and stable parameter of an IVF attempt. With these statistics, couples have an idea as to what outcome to anticipate from their IVF attempt at the particular IVF unit. In addition, estimation can be drawn for the technical efficiency of the services, and an attempt can be made to compare IVF units to support the choices of the couple.

On the diagram below, shows pregnancy rates and deliveries of live births in our IVF unit per embryo transfer, in fresh cycles and frozen embryo cycles, according to female age from 1997 to 2011.