Risks & Complications

Surgery and office procedures carry typical risks of infection and bleeding, as well as risks associated with the specific surgery or procedure being performed. Discuss details about specific risks of any surgery or procedure with the practitioner. You can also find information about these risks elsewhere on this website.


Superovulation-IUI therapy and In Vitro Fertilization both use controlled ovarian stimulation. With SOI the stimulation is usually milder, and with IVF, more aggressive. Ovarian stimulation can lead to complications.


  • Multiple/grandmultiple pregnancy: The risk of multiple/grandmultiple pregnancy varies significantly depending on your age, diagnosis and type of stimulation therapy.

  • With clomiphene citrate superovulation therapy, there is roughly a 10% twinning rate, and a 1-2% triplet or higher rate. With gonadotropin stimulation these rates go to about 15-20% for twins and about 4% for triplets or more.

  • With IVF, multiple/grandmultiple pregnancy rates may be as high as 40% for twins and 10-20% for triplets.

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome

Multiple Pregnancy (PDF)