Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine

The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine (대한생식의학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Blastocyst transfer in frozen-thawed cycles

  • Han, Ae Ra (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyungpook National University Hospital) ;
  • Park, Chan Woo (Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Kwandong University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Hyoung-Song (Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Kwandong University College of Medicine) ;
  • Yang, Kwang Moon (Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Kwandong University College of Medicine) ;
  • Song, In Ok (Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Kwandong University College of Medicine) ;
  • Koong, Mi Kyoung (Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Kwandong University College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2012.05.19
  • Accepted : 2012.06.26
  • Published : 2012.09.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objective: It is well known that fresh blastocyst transfer results in better pregnancy outcomes with a smaller number of transferred embryos compared with cleavage stage embryo transfer. However, in terms of frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer, only a few studies are available. We aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) with blastocysts. Methods: Retrospective analysis of FET cycles with blastocysts (B-FET) between Jan 2007 and June 2009 was performed. Age-matched FET cycles with cleavage stage embryos (C-FET) during the same period were collected as controls. A total of 58 B-FET cycles were compared with 172 C-FET cycles and also compared with those of post-thaw extended culture blastocysts from frozen pronuclear stage embryos (22 cycles). Results: There was no difference in the patient characteristics of each group. The embryos' survival rates after thawing were comparable (>90%) and there was no difference in the implantation rate or clinical and ongoing pregnancy rate among the three groups. Conclusion: In FET, blastocyst transfers may not present better pregnancy outcomes than cleavage stage embryo transfers. A further large-scale prospective study is needed.

Keywords

References

  1. Papanikolaou EG, Kolibianakis EM, Tournaye H, Venetis CA, Fatemi H, Tarlatzis B, et al. Live birth rates after transfer of equal number of blastocysts or cleavage-stage embryos in IVF. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod 2008;23:91-9.
  2. Papanikolaou EG, Camus M, Kolibianakis EM, Van Landuyt L, Van Steirteghem A, Devroey P. In vitro fertilization with single blastocyst- stage versus single cleavage-stage embryos. N Engl J Med 2006;354:1139-46.
  3. Blake DA, Farquhar CM, Johnson N, Proctor M. Cleavage stage versus blastocyst stage embryo transfer in assisted conception. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;(4):CD002118.
  4. Trounson A, Mohr L. Human pregnancy following cryopreservation, thawing and transfer of an eight-cell embryo. Nature 1983;305:707-9.
  5. Liebermann J, Dietl J, Vanderzwalmen P, Tucker MJ. Recent developments in human oocyte, embryo and blastocyst vitrification: where are we now? Reprod Biomed Online 2003;7:623-33.
  6. Loutradi KE, Kolibianakis EM, Venetis CA, Papanikolaou EG, Pados G, Bontis I, et al. Cryopreservation of human embryos by vitrification or slow freezing: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril 2008;90:186-93.
  7. Kolibianakis EM, Venetis CA, Tarlatzis BC. Cryopreservation of human embryos by vitrification or slow freezing: which one is better? Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 2009;21:270-4.
  8. Stehlik E, Stehlik J, Katayama KP, Kuwayama M, Jambor V, Brohammer R, et al. Vitrification demonstrates significant improvement versus slow freezing of human blastocysts. Reprod Biomed Online 2005;11:53-7.
  9. Aflatoonian A, Oskouian H, Ahmadi S, Oskouian L. Can fresh embryo transfers be replaced by cryopreserved-thawed embryo transfers in assisted reproductive cycles? A randomized controlled trial. J Assist Reprod Genet 2010;27:357-63.
  10. Anderson AR, Weikert ML, Crain JL. Determining the most optimal stage for embryo cryopreservation. Reprod Biomed Online 2004;8:207-11.
  11. Li HZ, Qiao J, Chi HB, Liu P, Wu BS, Chen XN, et al. Comparison of multiple pregnancy rate following transfer of frozen-thawed or fresh embryos and analysis of related factors. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 2009;89:2626-8.
  12. Shin MR, Choi HW, Kim MK, Lee SH, Lee HS, Lim CK. In vitro development and gene expression of frozen-thawed 8-cell stage mouse embryos following slow freezing or vitrification. Clin Exp Reprod Med 2011;38:203-9.
  13. Kattera S, Shrivastav P, Craft I. Comparison of pregnancy outcome of pronuclear- and multicellular-stage frozen-thawed embryo transfers. J Assist Reprod Genet 1999;16:358-62.
  14. Moragianni VA, Cohen JD, Smith SE, Schinfeld JS, Somkuti SG, Lee A, et al. Outcomes of day-1, day-3, and blastocyst cryopreserved embryo transfers. Fertil Steril 2010;93:1353-5.
  15. Shebl O, Ebner T, Sommergruber M, Sir A, Tews G. Cryopreserved blastocysts have a lower implantation but an equal live birth rate as compared to fresh blastocysts of the same quality - a case-control study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2009;88:944-7.

Cited by

  1. Effect of Sperm DNA Fragmentation on Clinical Outcome of Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer and on Blastocyst Formation vol.9, pp.4, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094956
  2. Clinical outcomes of frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfer in patients requiring whole embryo freezing vol.62, pp.2, 2016, https://doi.org/10.3109/19396368.2015.1128991
  3. A retrospective study of single frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer vol.43, pp.2, 2012, https://doi.org/10.5653/cerm.2016.43.2.106
  4. Comparison of pregnancy outcomes after vitrification at the cleavage and blastocyst stage: a meta-analysis vol.35, pp.1, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-017-1040-1
  5. Single fresh blastocyst transfer or single cryopreserved-thawed blastocyst transfer: which is preferable for infertile patients in IVF/ICSI cycles? A meta-analysis vol.35, pp.1, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2018.1490408
  6. Cleavage Stage versus Blastocyst Stage Embryo Transfer in Oocyte Donation Cycles vol.55, pp.6, 2012, https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55060293
  7. The effect of fresh IVF cycle characteristics on frozen embryo transfer (FET) outcomes vol.24, pp.2, 2012, https://doi.org/10.5935/1518-0557.20190074
  8. Factors associated with vitrification-warming survival in 6167 euploid blastocysts vol.38, pp.10, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-021-02284-0