Clinician-related variability as an independent determinant of in vitro fertilization success: A retrospective cohort study of intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles
International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine, cilt.24, sa.4, ss.287-296, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 24 Sayı: 4
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.18502/ijrm.v24i4.21169
- Dergi Adı: International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Middle East & Africa Database (ProQuest), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.287-296
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Clinician performance, Embryo transfer, In vitro fertilization, Infertility treatment, Pregnancy rate
- İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: In vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes are shaped by individual factors, laboratory conditions, and clinician performance; however, while embryologists and laboratory conditions are well studied, clinician-related variables remain less explored. Objective: This study aims to evaluate whether pregnancy outcomes vary in IVF cycles managed by different clinicians. Materials and Methods: In this cohort study, data of 3017 women who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection at the IVF Center of Kadıköy Florence Nightingale hospital, İstanbul, Türkiye from January 2013-December 2020 were extracted from their medical records and retrospectively reviewed. Clinical pregnancy rates were compared between clinicians. Results: Clinical pregnancy rates differed significantly between clinicians, ranging from 13.6–56.0% (p = 0.023). The overall pregnancy rate was 29.9%. In the multivariate analysis, even after adjusting for maternal age, body mass index, duration of infertility, and anti-Müllerian hormone levels, the clinician variable retained its significance as an independent predictor (adjusted odds ratios: 0.45–2.12, p = 0.018). Conclusion: Our study shows that clinician-related factors independently shape IVF success. Clinical expertise, judgment, and surgical skills affect outcomes throughout the IVF cycle, not only at embryo transfer. Improving laboratory conditions alone is insufficient; clinician training, performance standardization, and ongoing professional development are also essential. Thus, clinician performance should be integrated into quality assurance and further evaluated in prospective multicenter studies.