Acupuncture During Egg Retrieval for IVF
Acupuncture is safe to perform during the egg retrieval phase of IVF treatment, with no evidence of harm to the procedure itself, though the optimal timing and number of sessions for improving outcomes remains under investigation.
Safety Profile
- Acupuncture-specific adverse events during IVF are primarily mild to moderate local reactions (needle site bruising, minor bleeding), with no reports of complications specifically related to egg retrieval procedures 1
- The procedure poses no contraindication to oocyte retrieval itself, which is performed via transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration under sedation 2
- No guidelines identify acupuncture as a safety concern during the egg retrieval process 3
Timing Considerations for Acupuncture in IVF
The evidence suggests acupuncture should be administered throughout the stimulation cycle rather than only on retrieval day for potential benefit:
- Acupuncture administered on days 6-8 of the stimulated cycle, with additional treatments on embryo transfer day, represents a studied protocol 4
- Multiple sessions throughout the IVF cycle appear more beneficial than 2-3 sessions limited to embryo transfer day alone 5
- Evidence suggests several acupuncture sessions may improve endometrial thickness, reduce stress, and improve patient satisfaction 5
Potential Benefits and Limitations
Acupuncture may improve certain IVF outcomes but should not be expected to dramatically increase success rates:
- Compared to sham acupuncture and blank controls, acupuncture significantly improved biochemical pregnancy rates (RR = 1.28) and clinical pregnancy rates (RR = 1.19) 1
- Acupuncture provides significant IVF-related stress reduction and better pain management during procedures 5, 1
- Two to three acupuncture sessions performed only around embryo transfer are insufficient to improve live birth outcomes 5
Important Caveat
One concerning finding requires discussion with patients:
- A significantly higher early miscarriage rate was observed in acupuncture groups (RR = 1.51,95% CI: 1.10-2.08) in recent meta-analysis 1
- This finding warrants caution and informed consent discussion, though the mechanism remains unclear 1
Clinical Recommendations
If offering acupuncture as adjunctive IVF therapy:
- Begin treatments during the controlled ovarian stimulation phase (days 6-8 of cycle) rather than waiting until retrieval or transfer 4
- Continue through embryo transfer for optimal potential benefit 5, 4
- Counsel patients that acupuncture may reduce anxiety and improve quality of life, but evidence for improving live birth rates remains insufficient 5, 6
- Discuss the potential increased early miscarriage risk identified in recent systematic review 1