Optimizing Patient Analgesic Experience During IVF
Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
2014-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This study is for patients undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The investigators are
studying the best way to control pain during the egg retrieval process. The egg retrieval
involves passing a needle under ultrasound guidance through the vagina into the ovaries to
remove eggs that are to be later fertilized. Patients often report this as very
uncomfortable.
Different fertility clinics across the country use different methods of pain control. All
clinics will use intravenous medication to control pain, while some may or may not use local
anaesthetic (freezing) in the vagina. Our goal is to find the best way to control pain. Since
local anaesthetic injection involves multiple needle punctures and may be painful, the
investigators are unsure if local anaesthetic is necessary in addition to the intravenous
pain medication.
The investigators will conduct a randomized trial where all patients will receive intravenous
pain medication, but some will receive local anaesthetic injection and some will receive
placebo injection. Patients will be asked to complete a questionnaire on their pain
experience after oocyte retrieval. The investigators will then analyze the data and determine
whether local anaesthetic actually improves pain when patients are already receiving
intravenous pain medications. Through our study, the investigators aim to improve the pain
experience of all women undergoing IVF in the future.