Pregnancy Outcome Using General Anesthesia Versus Spinal Anesthesia for In Vitro Fertilization

BACKGROUND: There is a considerable rate of fertility failure and this causes a great burden of untoward effects for patients. Usually a considerable number of these patients undergo anesthesia for their treatment. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to compare the effects of general and spinal anesthesia on these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a randomized clinical trial, after taking informed written consent from the patients, 200 patients entered the study; 100 in each. During a 2 year period, women aged 20 to 40 years entered the study (one group receiving spinal anesthesia and the other, receiving general anesthesia). Ovum retrieval protocols were the same. Nonparametric and parametric analyses were used for data analysis. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: There was no difference between the two groups regarding demographic variables. 15 of 100 patients (15%) in the general anesthesia group and 27 of 100 patients (27%) in the spinal anesthesia group had successful pregnancy after IVF; so, spinal anesthesia increased significantly the chance of IVF success (P value < 0.001; Chi Square). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrated that spinal anesthesia increased the chance of fertilization success.