Ovarian reserve A delay in childbearing is strongly associated with age-related decline in fertility potential.1 The age-related reduction in fecundity is a result of the presence of a limited pool of oocytes in human ovaries.2 This eventually increases the incidence of infertility among couples trying to conceive.1 "Ovarian reserve" denotes the functional potential of the ovary that is expressed as the number and quality of oocytes within it.3 The age-related impairment in a woman's ability to achieve and maintain pregnancy, both through natural and assisted techniques, may be attributed to the age-related changes within the ovary, i.e. a reduction in the number of oocytes available for ovulation or retrieval and an ongoing decline in the capacity of these oocytes to form viable embryos.4 As early as 31 to 35 years of age, spontaneous cumulative pregnancy rates begin to decline. At 35 to 39 years of age, one-third of women experience…
Background Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), an iatrogenic complication of controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) medications, first came into the limelight in 1943 while the initial evidence of fatal consequences of the condition surfaced in 1951.1 Assisted reproduction techniques (ART) have gained popularity in recent times and the benefits and risks of the technology come with the package. OHSS is the most serious risk of ART. Klemetti and colleagues2 had reported in a study that 14 per 1000 women reported with a serious case of OHSS following first in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment cycle. The risk of OHSS may be highest after the first and the fifth or more IVF treatment cycles.2 The total rate of hospitalization due to OHSS per initiated IVF treatment cycle ranged from 0.9% (210 cases/24,318 cycles) to 1.4% (330 cases/24,318 cycles) and the mean length of hospital stay due to OHSS and potential…
