Abstract:

Transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval (TUGOR) is an important step of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). The analgesia methods of TUGOR include general anesthesia, conscious sedation and analgesia, patient self-controlled analgesia, regional anesthesia, paracervical block, and acupuncture and moxibustion. Among them, intravenous general anesthesia is the most widely used, with the fast effect, strong efficiency and helps to increase the number of eggs obtained. Propofol is the most commonly used as an intravenous anesthetic drug at present. However, the possible toxic effect of propofol on oocytes should not be ignored, and some studies suggest that the oocyte extraction process should be as short as possible so as to decrease the accumulation of anesthetic drugs in follicular fluid. As a characteristic treatment of Chinese traditional medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion needs to be explored further the nerve pathway and the molecular mechanism of pain relief in TUGOR to determine the best acupuncture and moxibustion analgesia method. Some female patients with fewer follicles have voluntarily chosen the non-anesthetic oocyte retrieval, but its safety and overall acceptability need to be further studied.

Key words: Reproductive techniques, assisted, Fertilization in vitro, Embryo transfer, Oocyte retrieval, Analgesia