Successful birth after transfer of vitrified human blastocysts with use of a cryoloop containerless technique

Purpose This study was designed to investigate whether artificial shrinkage, induced by a laser pulse or hyperosmotic sucrose solutions, improves in vitro survival and/or implantation of vitrified-warmed human expanded blastocysts. Methods Before Cryotop vitrification, the blastocoelic cavity was collapsed either by a laser pulse or sucrose solutions. Non-treated blastocysts were used as control. Post-warm blastocyst survival and implantation after transfer were examined. Implantation rate outcome was retrospectively analyzed by morphological grading and developmental kinetics of post-warm blastocysts. Results Survival rates in the three groups were high. Implantation rates in the laser-pulse group (59.7%) were comparable with those in the sucrose group (49.3%), and were significantly higher than those in the control group (34.2%). The proportion of blastocysts showing fast development tended to be higher when the blastocysts underwent artificial shrinkage treatment before vitrification. There was no clear correlation between morphology of post-warm blastocysts and implantation rate. Conclusion Artificial shrinkage treatment before vitrification is associated with an increased probability of fast-developing embryos, resulting in higher implantation rates.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In vitro and in vivo viability of human blastocysts collapsed by laser pulse or osmotic shock prior to vitrification

Iwayama¹,

Hochi

Yamashita³

2010

“…The methods of IVF, ICSI, blastocyst culture, and cryopreservation with vitrification, and BT have been described previously (17,18). Up to three blastocysts were transferred to each patient 5 or 6 days after oocyte retrieval, and supernumerary blastocysts were cryopreserved.…”

Section: Oocyte Fertilization Embryo Culture and Transfermentioning

confidence: 99%

GnRH Antagonist Improved Blastocyst Quality and Pregnancy Outcome After Multiple Failures of IVF/ICSI–ET with a GnRH Agonist Protocol

Takahashi¹,

Mukaida²,

Tomiyama

et al. 2004

Self Cite

Background : To determine the efficacy of a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, cetrorelix, in improving the quality of embryos and pregnancy outcome, we performed a study in patients with a history of multiple failures of in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles with a GnRH agonist (GnRHa) long protocol. Methods : Forty women with no live births after conventional IVF or ICSI embryo transfer (ET) and subsequent blastocyst transfer (BT) with a GnRHa long protocol entered this study. The treatment protocol consisted of a daily dose of clomiphene citrate 100 mg for 5 days and gonadotrophin injections daily from cycle day 4 onward. Cetrorelix, 0.25 mg/day, was started when the leading follicle reached 14 mm. Induction of ovulation was triggered with human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) (N = 36) or GnRHa (N = 4). It was possible to perform BT in 38 patients. Results : Comparison of the results with the results for BT with the previous GnRHa protocol showed no significant differences in number of oocytes retrieved or the zygote-and blastocystdevelopment rate. With the cetrorelix protocol, however, number of patients whose embryos had developed to at least one expanded blastocyst on day 5 was significantly higher than with the GnRHa protocol (25 vs. 9) ( p < 0.001), and 16 of the women became pregnant (42.1%), with 7 delivering 9 infants, 4 ending in abortion (25%), and 5 in progressing. Conclusions : The use of a GnRH antagonist in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation improves the outcome of pregnancy of patients with a history of multiple failure of IVF/ICSI-ET in a GnRHa protocol, most likely due to improvement of the quality of the blastocysts generated.

“…However, these initial attempts of blastocyst vitrification using cryostraws have not improved the existing pregnancy rates [7,8]. Later modifications by various workers using different cryoprotectants and better carriers like cryoloop [9], electron microscope grids [10], cryotop [11] enabling faster heat transfer has improved the pregnancy rates. This ultrarapid approach significantly improved the survival and pregnancy rates of human blastocysts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vitrification of human early cavitating and deflated expanded blastocysts: clinical outcome of 474 cycles

Raju¹,

Prakash²,

Krishna³

et al. 2009

Purpose The present study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the post thaw survival, implantation and pregnancy rates of vitrified human early cavitating blastocysts with deflated expanded blastocysts. Material and methods Supernumerary blastocysts were vitrified in 30% ethylene glycol-dimethyl sulphoxide based solution using cryoloop. Fully expanded blastocysts were deflated by gentle aspiration of the blastocoelic fluid using a micromanipulator until the cavity collapses prior to vitrification. Results Of the 576 vitrified blastocysts, 545 (94.61%) survived thawing in the early cavitating blastocyst group which was significantly higher than deflated expanded blastocyst group, in which only 370 survived thawing out of 459 (80.62%). However, no significant difference was observed in implantation and pregnancy rates between early cavitating and deflated expanded blastocyst groups. Conclusions Early cavitating blastocyst would be the ideal stage for cryopreservation of human blastocysts as it has higher survival rate and avoids additional invasive procedures like deflation of the blastocoele.