The Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on the Pregnancy Rate in Women Undergoing Assisted Reproduction Techniques and Embryo Transfer

Background: To evaluate the effect of TENS on the pregnancy rate in women undergoing assisted reproduction techniques (ART) and embryo transfer. Objective: This study was designed by comparing a group of patients receiving TENS shortly before embryo transfer with placebo control group. Materials and methods: A prospective, randomized single blinded placebo-controlled study was designed. After obtaining the informed consent from those who had good quality embryos, 233 patients who were undergoing ART, were signed in to the following two groups (117 in experimental116 in placebo control groups). Conventional TENS (100Hz, 50μsec biphasic asymmetrical pulse) was applied by two channel over the groin and the mid part of anterior iliac spine to symphysis of pubis. 20 minutes in supine position before embryo transfer. In the control group, embryos were transferred without any supportive therapy. Sperm parameters (count, viability, motility, normal morphology) and embryo quality were measured based on WHO criteria. Clinical pregnancy was defined by the presence of a fetal sac during an ultrasound examination 6 weeks after embryo transfer. X2 and MANOVA were used for variables differences and Eta2 for correlation. Results: Clinical pregnancies were documented in 36 of 117 patients (30.8%) in the TENS group, whereas pregnancy rate in the placebo control group was 19.8% (23 out of 116). pregnancy rate was highly significant in TENS group (p<0.05). MANOVA did not show any differences of demographic, sperm parameters and number of egg by good embryo quality between two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: TENS seems to be a useful non invasive and easy applicable tool for improving pregnancy rates in ART protocol and embryo transfer. *Corresponding author: Nasser Salsabili, IVF, Department of the Mirza Kouchack Khan Hospital of Tehran University, IRAN, E-mail: [email protected] Received October 28, 2011; Accepted December 04, 2011; Published December 20, 2011 Citation: Salsabili N, Salsabili H, Berjis K, Akbariasbagh F, Karimzadeh M (2011) The Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on the Pregnancy Rate in Women Undergoing Assisted Reproduction Techniques and Embryo Transfer. Gynecol Obstetric S5:001. doi:10.4172/2161-0932.S5-001 Copyright: © 2011 Salsabili N, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.