Does local injury to the endometrium before IVF cycle really affect treatment outcome? Results of a randomized placebo controlled trial

Aim: To evaluate the effect of local injury to the endometrium during spontaneous menstrual cycles before in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment on implantation and pregnancy rates in women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Methods: In a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT), a total of 36 patients, with RIF undergoing IVF, were randomized to two groups. In 18 patients, endometrial biopsies were performed using a pipelle curette on days 9-12 and 21-24 of the menstrual cycle preceding IVF treatment. In 18 control patients, a cervical pipelle was performed. Results: The implantation rate (2.08% versus 11.11%; p=0.1), clinical (0% versus 31.25%; p<0.05) and live births rates (0% versus 25%; p=0.1) were lower in the experimental group compared with controls. Conclusion: Our RCT did not find any benefit from local injury to the endometrium in women with a high number of RIFs. Further studies are warranted to better define the target population of patients who may benefit from this procedure.