Abstract
Research question
Do morphokinetic profiles and treatment outcomes differ between embryos developed
from vitrified or fresh oocytes?
Design
Retrospective multicentre analysis using data from eight CARE Fertility clinics across
the UK between 2012 and 2019. Patients receiving treatment using embryos developed
from vitrified oocytes (n = 118 women, n = 748 oocytes), providing 557 zygotes during this time period, were recruited and
matched with patients undergoing treatment with embryos developed from fresh oocytes
(n = 123 women, n = 1110 oocytes), providing 539 zygotes in the same time frame. Time-lapse microscopy
was used to assess morphokinetic profiles, including early cleavage divisions (2-
through to 8-cell), post-cleavage stages including time to start of compaction, time
to morula, time to start of blastulation and time to full blastocyst. Duration of
key stages such as the compaction stage were also calculated. Treatment outcomes were
compared between the two groups (live birth rate, clinical pregnancy rate and implantation
rate).
Results
A significant delay of 2–3 h across all early cleavage divisions (2- through to 8-cell)
and time to start of compaction occurred in the vitrified group versus fresh controls
(all P ≤ 0.01). The compaction stage was significantly shorter in vitrified oocytes (19.02 ± 0.5 h)
compared with fresh controls (22.45 ± 0.6 h, P < 0.001). There was no difference in the time that fresh and vitrified embryos reached
the blastocyst stage (108.03 ± 0.7 versus 107.78 ± 0.6 h). There was no significant
difference in treatment outcomes between the two groups.
Conclusion
Vitrification is a useful technique for extending female fertility with no effects
on IVF treatment outcome.
Keywords
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Biography
Kathryn Montgomery holds an MRes Bioscience from Aberystwyth University, from which her research dissertation was conducted in collaboration with CARE Fertility, Manchester, resulting in this publication. Following the successful completion of her master's degree Kathryn is now an equine semen analysis technician for Stallion AI Services, UK.2
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 28, 2023
Accepted:
February 21,
2023
Received in revised form:
February 13,
2023
Received:
December 15,
2022
Declaration: The authors report no financial or commercial conflicts of interest.Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofIdentification
Copyright
Crown Copyright © 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. All rights reserved.
