Purpose To ascertain whether the use of hyaluronanenriched transfer medium (HETM) improves pregnancy and implantation rates among embryo transfer patients with a history of multiple implantation failures. Methods Patients (n0314) under the age of 40 and with a history of multiple unsuccessful embryo transfers were enrolled. There were three groups of patients: those undergoing fresh embryo transfer (fresh ET [n 0111]), those undergoing vitrified-warmed ET in the natural cycle (WET-N [n0101]) and those undergoing WET in a hormone replacement cycle ). On the day of ET, patients were randomized to HETM (0.5 mg/ml hyaluronan) or control medium containing no hyaluronan. Only patients with good quality embryos on day 3 were included. Results For all three patients groups (fresh ET, WET-N and WET-H) pregnancy rates (37.5 %, 31.4 % and 41.2 %, respectively) were significantly higher when using HETM compared with control medium (10.9 %, 10.0 % and 15.7 %, respectively; p<0.05), and implantation rates when using HETM were also significantly higher compared with control medium (p<0.05). Miscarriage rates were similar in both groups. Conclusion HETM significantly increased pregnancy and implantation rates among embryo transfer patients with a history of multiple unsuccessful implantations-regardless of method used to prepare the endometrium.

A plastic blade is a useful novel device in cryopreservation of vitrified human embryos.

Purpose The purpose was to establish a mild ovarian stimulation protocol that would help assisted reproductive technology (ART) units to avoid scheduling on weekends. Methods This protocol directed patients to take 50 mg/day of clomiphene citrate between days 3 and 7 of the menstrual cycle: 225 IU of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rec-FSH) were administered on days 3, 5 and 7; human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was administered on day 9; and, oocyte pick-up (OPU) was planned for day 11. From October 2008 through October 2009, 514 women underwent ART treatment with mild stimulation at the Sugiyama Clinic, and we evaluated whether OPU was accomplished on the planned day. Results Of all the treatment cycles, 419 (81.5%) underwent OPU on day 11 (scheduled group). Additional rec-FSH administration was needed in 83 cycles, in which case OPU was performed on day 12 or later. In 12 cycles, OPU was canceled. The unscheduled group (n = 95) consisted of delayed OPU cycles and canceled cycles. Of all treatment cycles, 332 cycles in the scheduled group and 68 cycles in the unscheduled group underwent embryo transfer, with 81 and 16, respectively, resulting in pregnancies. Conclusions Using this protocol, OPU was performed on the scheduled day in about 80% of the cycles. Most weekend scheduling of OPU can be avoided using this mild stimulation.

No abstract

A lower PR was shown by the patients who underwent thawed ET in the HRC within 90 days after their last CC treatment, which shows that CC affects the receptivity of the uterine endometrium.