INVESTIGATİON OF THE EFFECT OF PASSIVE UTERINE STRAIGHTENING WITH A FULL BLADDER IN COMBINATION WITH TRANSABDOMINAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY ON PREGNANCY RATES IN INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Intrauterine artificial insemination (IUI) is a procedure in which prepared sperm is placed into the uterine cavity via a catheter to help couples undergoing treatment for unexplained infertility to conceive. Many factors influence the success of IUI. In this prospective study, we aimed to compare the pregnancy outcomes of a classic blind IUI procedure with an empty bladder with a transabdominal ultrasound-guided IUI procedure where the cervicouterine angle was flattened by using a full bladder. This prospective study was conducted at the Firat University Infertility Clinic between 2021 and November 2022. The study included a total of 340 cases diagnosed with unexplained infertility who underwent gonadotropin induction and completed the study. Group 1 (n=169) = Group that underwent blind IUI with an empty bladder, Group 2 (n=171) = Group that underwent IUI with a full bladder under transabdominal ultrasound guidance. Demographic, laboratory, radiological, ovulation induction procedure, and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups. When comparing the two groups, there were no significant differences in age, body mass index (BMI), basal hormone levels, total antral and dominant follicle count, total motile sperm count, and total gonadotropin dose. The amount of insemination fluid that overflowed from the uterine cavity was significantly greater in the full bladder group than in the empty bladder group. However, clinical pregnancy rates were similar in both groups. Performing the intrauterine insemination procedure with a full bladder under transabdominal ultrasound guidance does not positively affect clinical pregnancy rates, except in terms of ease of procedure.