Embryology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Embryology, including details on stem cells, reproduction, transplants, cloning.

A modified embryo cryopreservation method increases post-thaw survival with a concomitant increase in implantation.

Kattera S, Chen C

Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Gleneagles IVF Centre, Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore. suresh@cccrm.com

OBJECTIVE: To achieve maximum post-thaw survival of frozen embryos. DESIGN: Historical controlled study. SETTING: Hospital-based fertility center. PATIENT(S): One hundred forty-five patients whose embryos were frozen and thawed according to the standard method, and 56 patients whose embryos were frozen and thawed according to a modified method. INTERVENTION(S): Modifications were made to the various steps of cryopreservation: freezing and thawing solutions, loading of embryos into the straws, and warming rates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Post-thaw survival, implantation, and pregnancy rates. RESULT(S): With the modified method, 138 (93%) of the 149 embryos thawed for 56 patients survived freezing, and 79.8% had all their blastomeres intact, which is almost double the result obtained (41.8%) for patients whose embryos were thawed with the standard method. The implantation and pregnancy rates were also significantly higher with the modified method compared with the standard method. CONCLUSION(S): Greater post-thaw embryo survival was achieved, with a concomitant increase in implantation and pregnancy rates, by modifying the various steps in the standard cryopreservation methodology. This has important implications in IVF practice.

Published 8 November 2005 in Fertil Steril, 84(5): 1498-504.
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