resurgence of minimal stimulation in vitro fertilization with a protocol consisting of gonadotropin releasing hormone-agonist trigger and vitrified-thawed embryo transfer

minimal stimulation in vitro fertilization (mini-ivf) consists of a gentle controlled ovarian stimulation that aims to produce a maximum of five to six oocytes. there is a misbelief that mini-ivf severely compromises pregnancy and live birth rates. an appraisal of the literature pertaining to studies on mini-ivf protocols was performed. the advantages of minimal stimulation protocols are reported here with a focus on the use of clomiphene citrate (cc), gonadotropin releasing hormone (gnrh) agonist trigger for oocyte maturation, and freeze-all embryo strategy. literature review and the author’s own center data suggest that minimal ovarian stimulation protocols with gnrh agonist trigger and freeze-all embryo strategy along with single embryo transfer produce a reasonable clinical pregnancy and live birth rates in both good and poor responders. additionally, mini-ivf offers numerous advantages such as: i. reduction in cost and stress with fewer office visits, needle sticks, and ultrasounds, and ii. reduction in the incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (ohss). mini-ivf is re-emerging as a solution for some of the problems associated with conventional ivf, such as ohss, cost, and patient discomfort.