Nihan Erdoğan Atalay, Yücel İnan, Ömer Doğukan Saraç, Hayal Uzelli Şimşek
Anatolian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research - 2025;2(2):83-89
Donor cycles involve the freezing or preparation of oocytes obtained from young donors with high ovarian reserves for use by infertile couples, either for freezing or fresh transfer. This diversity in indications leads to significant differences in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation protocols, stimulation duration, gonadotropin dosages, and clinical objectives. Consequently, noticeable variations are observed in parameters such as the total number of oocytes retrieved, maturation rates, and the risk of complications. Only a limited number of studies in the literature have directly compared social, medical, and donor cycles. Existing findings indicate that obtaining a sufficient number of high-quality oocytes is critical for pregnancy success in social fertility preservation cycles at an advanced age, whereas in medical indications, due to time constraints, the yield is relatively limited. Donor cycles, on the other hand, are considered a reference group due to the high oocyte yield from young healthy donors. The aim of this study is to compare parameters, including total oocyte yield, proportions of mature and immature oocytes, maturation rates, cumulative number of vitrified oocytes, incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), and the frequency of oocyte pick-up (OPU) procedures in oocyte cryopreservation cycles performed for social, medical, and donor purposes. The findings may help the development of individualized approaches for fertility preservation practices and to provide a scientific basis for social fertility planning.
