In transport assisted reproductive technology (ART), the time taken to transport oocytes to the main center differs greatly among the satellite facilities and may influence the clinical results. For the conventional fertilization (IVF) groups in which oocytes were collected at the satellite facilities and transported to the main ART center for insemination and embryo transfer, there were 29 cycles in 27 patients with a transportation time within 60 min (short time transport IVF (ST-IVF)), 78 cycles in 62 patients with a time between 60 and 120 min (long time transport IVF (LT-IVF)), and there were 141 cycles in 110 patients at the main ART center (center IVF (C-IVF)). For the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) group, there were 65 ST-ICSI cycles in 42 patients, 146 LT-ICSI cycles in 97 patients, and 326 cycles in 238 patients at the main ART center (C-ICSI). The morphologically favorable embryo rate was lower in the ST-ICSI group (33.8%, < 0.05) than in the C-ICSI group (38.1%), and the morphologically poor embryo rate in the LT-IVF group (38.6%, < 0.0001) was higher than in the C-IVF group (26.7%). The rate of embryo transfers resulting in pregnancies was 16.7% in the ST-ICSI group ( < 0.01) and 17.3% in the LT-ICSI group ( < 0.001), both less than that of 35.2% for the C-ICSI group. To improve both the morphologically favorable embryo rate and the pregnancy rate in transport ART, it is essential to improve the total quality control at the satellite facilities. (Reprod Med Biol 2004;: 123-131).
Background and Aims:We evaluated the efficacy of the transport oocyte/embryo frozen/thawed embryo transfer method, in which oocytes or embryos were transported from satellite clinics to the main assisted reproductive technology (ART) center, and surplus embryos were placed in cryopreservation.
Methods:We evaluated 41 cycles in 34 patients in the transport oocyte group (TO group). In the TO group the oocytes were collected at the satellite clinics, transported to the main ART center and underwent in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Surplus embryos were used for frozen/thawed embryo transfer. We also evaluated 17 cycles in 10 patients in the transport embryo group (TE group), where surplus embryos were transported to the main ART center and used for frozen/thawed embryo transfer; and 189 cycles in 134 patients in the center group (C group), where surplus embryos collected at the same time at the main ART center were used for frozen/thawed embryo transfer. Oocytes were transported from satellite clinics in HEPES buffered human tubal fluid (HTF) culture medium, and embryos in 30% synthetic serum substitute + HEPES buffered HTF, using a portable incubator we devised.
Results:The proportions of undamaged embryos after freeze/ thawing were 47% for the C group, 46% for the TO group, and 46% for the TE group. The numbers of embryos transferred were 2.0 ± 0.7 for the C group, 2.0 ± 0.6 for the TO group, and 2.2 ± 0.4 for the TE group. The rate of embryo transfer was 63% for the C group, 68% for the TO group, and 76% for the TE group. Pregnancy rates per patient were 16% for the C group, 24% for the TO group, and 40% for the TE group. The embryo survival rates (number of embryos with ≥50% viable blastomeres/total number of embryos) were 55% for the C group, 60% for the TO group, and 54% for the TE group. No significant differences were seen between the C group and either the TO or TE groups in any of these parameters.
Conclusions:
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