Korean J Fertil Steril.  1997 Dec;24(3):281-292.

Clinical Outcome of Transfer of Cryopreserved-Thawed Embryos Obtained after Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection: Comparison with Conventional In Vitro Fertilization

• Kim SH
• Jee BC
• Jung BJ
• Kim HS
• Ryu BY
• Pang MG
• Oh SK
• Shon C
• Suh CS
• Choi YM
• Kim JG
• Moon SY
• Lee JY

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare retrospectively the survival and pregnancy rates(PR) of cryopresered-thawed embryos obtained from intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF). Ninety-six cycles of cryopresered-thawed embryo transfer (ET) were performed in 79 patients from June, 1996 to September, 1997 and grouped as followings: 20 cycles (16 patients) inseminated by ICSI (ICSI Group) and 76 cycles (63 patients) by conventional IVT (IVF Group). Slow-freezing and rapid-thawing protocol was used with 1.5M propanediol (PROH) and 0.1M sucrose as cryoprotectant. All embryos were frozen-thawed at the two pronuclear (2 PN) stage excluding four cycles in which the early cleavage stage embryos were frozen, and allowed to cleave in vitro for one day before ET. The duration from freezing to thawing was comparable in both groups (mean+/-SD, 112.1+/-80.0 vs. 124.8+/-140.1 days). The age of female (31.2+/-3.4 vs. 32.6+/-3.3 years) and the endometrial thickness prior to progesterone injection (9.4+/-2.0 vs. 9.3+/-1.8 mm) were also comparable in both groups. There was no significant difference in the outcomes of cryopreserved-thawed ET between two groups: survival rate (85.2+/-16.1% vs. 82.2+/-19.7%), cleavage rate (96.9+/-6.7% vs. 94.7+/-13.0%), cumulative embryo score (CES, 54.5 +/-31.1 vs. 49.0+/-20.0), preclinical loss rate (5.0% vs. 5.3%), clinical miscarriage rate (0% vs 29.4%), clinical PR per transfer (35.0% vs. 22.4%), implantation rate (9.9% vs. 5.6%), and multifetal PR (42.9% vs. 17.6%). In conclusion, human embryos resulting from ICSI can be cryopreserved-thawed and transferred successfully, and the survival rate and PR are comparable to conventional IVF.

MeSH Terms

Abortion, Spontaneous
Embryo Transfer
Embryonic Structures*
Female
Fertilization in Vitro*
Freezing
Humans
Pregnancy
Progesterone
Retrospective Studies
Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic*
Sucrose
Survival Rate
Progesterone
Sucrose