The Efficacy and Safety of Human Oocyte Vitrification

Abstract

Vitrification is now a widely applied and highly successful approach for cryopreservation in reproductive biology. Rapidly increasing data prove that it is also a highly efficient technique for low-temperature storage of human oocytes. The latest approaches with appropriately selected cryoprotectants, tools and techniques, and properly adjusted parameters allow close to 100% morphological survival rates, and in vitro embryo development, as well pregnancy and implantation rates, comparable with those achieved with fresh oocytes. With standardization of the technique and elimination of biosafety problems by preserving all the positive features, vitrification may become a common part of the everyday routine in a human embryo laboratory, and it may offer a solution for various medical and social situations as well as for simple logistic problems commonly occurring in assisted reproduction.

Accumulation of oocytes from a few modified natural cycles to improve IVF results: a pilot study

“…Finally the oocytes were incubated in culture media for 2 h at 37°C, 6.0 % CO, 5 % O2 before ICSI. The first step of the thawing procedure was performed at 37°C, while the others two were effectuated at room temperature [27].…”

Management of fertility in patients treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma

“…A 6.8% pregnancy rate achieved with vitrified oocytes. 38 Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue (CPOT) is a promising technique but has only started to be used recently. 39 The principle is to remove a whole ovary by laparoscopy.…”

Current progress in oocyte and embryo cryopreservation by slow freezing and vitrification

“…Despite many advances in the field of cryopreservation, specifically with regards to oocytes (ovulated, mature or immature), their cryopreservation is still not considered an established procedure and thus its current label as experimental technique (Noyes et al 2010). Even in human medicine, fewer than 200 births resulting from cryopreserved oocytes were reported as of 2007 (Edgar & Gook 2007), a number that went up to only 500 by 2009 (Nagy et al 2009). Yet, despite all these difficulties, some success in oocyte cryopreservation has been reported.…”