Abstract
Purpose: We report our experience of freezing human embryos using an ultrarapid freezing method.
Methods: The patients were superovulated. Oocytes were inseminated and cultured in HTF + 10% serum. A maximum of three embryos was transferred and the rest of the embryos were frozen ultrarapidly after a 3-min equilibration period in PB1 + 3.5 MDMSO + 0.25 Msucrose. Embryos were thawed in a 37°C water bath for 6 sec, then cultured in PB1 + 20% serum for 10 min. The surviving embryos were transferred into patients on the same day of thawing.
Results: Sixty-three embryos were thawed. of which 52 embryos (83%) survived with at least one intact blastomere. Nineteen frozen-thawed embryo transfers were made. The mean embryos per transfer was 2.7. Three pregnancies (16%/transfer) were established. One miscarriage occurred in the eighth week of pregnancy. Two pregnancies went to term and three healthy infants were born.
Conclusions: The present data demonstrate that ultrarapid freezing is a method worth consideration in the area of human embryo freezing.
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Lai, A.C.H., Lin, B.P.H., Chang, C.C. et al. Pregnancies after transfer of ultrarapidly frozen human embryos. J Assist Reprod Genet 13, 625–628 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02069640
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02069640