Dairo David: When Mature Follicles Yield No Oocytes
Dairo David, Trainee Embryologist at God’s Knot Fertility Centre, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Empty Follicle Syndrome (EFS)
Today, during oocyte aspiration, I experienced a remarkable and instructive case that deepened my understanding of real clinical situations.
Mature follicles were clearly seen on ultrasound — everything seemed set for retrieval. However, to everyone’s surprise, no oocytes were recovered during aspiration.
This scenario is referred to as Empty Follicle Syndrome (EFS) — a rare but significant occurrence in IVF where no oocytes are retrieved despite the presence of mature follicles.
EFS can occur due to:
- Premature ovulation
- Issues with hCG administration (dose, timing, or absorption)
- Rare intrinsic ovarian factors
Witnessing this first-hand was a powerful reminder that reproductive medicine doesn’t always follow the textbook. It highlighted the importance of timing, precision, teamwork, and critical thinking during IVF procedures.
As a trainee embryologist, every day in the lab teaches me something new — and today was a real-life example of the complexities and challenges behind each IVF success story.”
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