Abstract
Purpose
In this study, we investigated whether the time interval between oocyte retrieval and frozen embryo transfer (FET) affected the live birth (LB) rates of human segmented-IVF cycles.
Method
A total of 1338 ICSI freeze-all cycles were performed between February 2015 and January 2016, with 1121 FET cycles being retrospectively analyzed. All vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfers were performed in artificial FET cycles, using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist downregulation and oral estrogen endometrial preparation. The primary outcome measure was LB. Cycles were investigated in oocyte retrieval-to-FET interval groups of 32–46, 47–61, 62–76, 77–91, and ≥ 92 days, with the 47–61-day group used as the reference group.
Results
There were no significant differences in LB rates between the groups in the overall analysis, as well as, in sub-analyses investigating LB in terms of single blastocyst transfer (SBT), trigger type (GnRH agonist, triggers including hCG), oocyte number (≤ 5 and ≥ 15), and maternal age (> 35 years).
Conclusion
The present study showed that it is feasible to perform transfers 36 days after oocyte retrieval and that delaying FET in freeze-all beyond the cycle immediately following oocyte retrieval does not increase LB rates.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ji J, Liu Y, Hong Tong X, Lihua Luo L, Jinlong Ma J, Zijiang CZ. The optimum number of oocytes in IVF treatment: an analysis of 2455 cycles in China. Hum Reprod. 2013;28:2728–34.
Steward RG, Lan L, Shah A, Yeh J, Price TM, Goldfarb JM, et al. Oocyte number as a predictor for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and live birth: an analysis of 256,381 in vitro fertilization cycles. Fertil Steril. 2014;101:967–73.
Chen YH, Xu XH, Wang Q, Zhang SD, Jiang LL, Zhang CL, et al. Optimum oocyte retrieved and transfer strategy in young women with normal ovarian reserve undergoing a long treatment protocol: a retrospective cohort study. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2015;32:1459–67.
Papanikolaou EG, Bourgain C, Kolibianakis E, Tournaye H, Devroey P. Steroid receptor expression in late follicular phase endometrium in GnRH antagonist IVF cycles is already altered, indicating initiation of early luteal phase transformation in the absence of secretory changes. Hum Reprod. 2005;20:1541–7.
Van Vaerenbergh I, Van Lommel L, Ghislain V, In’t Veld P, Schuit F, Fatemi HM, et al. In GnRH antagonist/rec-FSH stimulated cycles, advanced endometrial maturation on the day of oocyte retrieval correlates with altered gene expression. Hum Reprod. 2009;24:1085–91.
Humaidan P, Van Vaerenbergh I, Bourgain C, Alsbjerg B, Blockeel C, Schuit F, et al. Endometrial gene expression in the early luteal phase is impacted by mode of triggering final oocyte maturation in recFSH stimulated and GnRH antagonist co-treated IVF cycles. Hum Reprod. 2012;27:3259–72.
Fatemi HM, Polyzos NP, van Vaerenbergh I, Bourgain C, Blockeel C, Alsbjerg B, et al. Early luteal phase endocrine profile is affected by the mode of triggering final oocyte maturation and the luteal phase support used in recombinant FSH–GnRH antagonist IVF cycles. Fertil Steril. 2013;100:742–7.
Baker VL, Brown MB, Luke B, Smith GW, Ireland JJ. Gonadotropin dose is negatively correlated with live birth rate: analysis of more than 650,000 assisted reproductive technology cycles. Fertil Steril. 2015;104:1145–52.
Baker VL, Brown MB, Luke B, Conrad KP. Association of number of retrieved oocytes with live birth rate and birth weight: an analysis of 231,815 cycles of in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 2015;103:931–8.
Shapiro BS, Daneshmand ST, Garner FC, Aguirre M, Hudson C. Clinical rationale for cryopreservation of entire embryo cohorts in lieu of fresh transfer. Fertil Steril. 2014;102:3–9.
Blockeel C, Drakopoulos P, Santos-Ribeiro S, Polyzos NP, Tournaye H. A fresh look at the freeze-all protocol: a SWOT analysis. Hum Reprod. 2016;31:491–7.
Ozgur K, Humaidan P, Coetzee K. Segmented ART—the new era in ART? Reprod Biol. 2016;16:91–103.
Edgar DH, Gook DA. A critical appraisal of cryopreservation (slow cooling versus vitrification) of human oocytes and embryos. Hum Reprod Update. 2012;18:536–54.
Li Z, Wang YA, Ledger W, Edgar DH, Sullivan EA. Clinical outcomes following cryopreservation of blastocysts by vitrification or slow freezing: a population-based cohort study. Hum Reprod. 2014;29:2794–801.
Feng G, Zhang B, Zhou H, Shu J, Gan X, Wu F, et al. Comparable clinical outcomes and live births after single vitrified–warmed and fresh blastocyst transfer. Reprod BioMed Online. 2012;25:466–73.
Roy TK, Bradley CK, Bowman MC, McArthur SJ. Single-embryo transfer of vitrified-warmed blastocysts yields equivalent live-birth rates and improved neonatal outcomes compared with fresh transfers. Fertil Steril. 2014;101:1294–301.
Evans J, Hannan NJ, Edgell TA, Vollenhoven BJ, Lutjen PJ, Osianlis T, et al. Fresh versus frozen embryo transfer: backing clinical decisions with scientific and clinical evidence. Hum Reprod Update. 2014;20:808–21.
Ozgur K, Berkkanoglu M, Bulut H, Isikli A, Coetzee K. Higher clinical pregnancy rates from frozen-thawed blastocyst transfers compared to fresh blastocyst transfers: a retrospective matched-cohort study. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2015;32:1483–90.
Coates A, Kung A, Mounts E, Hesla J, Bankowski B, Barbieri E, et al. Optimal euploid embryo transfer strategy, fresh versus frozen, after preimplantation genetic screening with next generation sequencing: a randomized controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2017;107:723–30.
Humaidan P, Ejdrup Bredkjaer H, Westergaard LG, Yding AC. 1,500 IU human chorionic gonadotropin administered at oocyte retrieval rescues the luteal phase when gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist is used for ovulation induction: a prospective, randomized, controlled study. Fertil Steril. 2010;93:847–54.
Shapiro BS, Daneshmand ST, Garner FC, Aguirre M, Hudson C, Thomas S. Evidence of impaired endometrial receptivity after ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization: a prospective randomized trial comparing fresh and frozen-thawed embryo transfer in normal responders. Fertil Steril. 2011;96:344–8.
Mainigi MA, Olalere D, Burd I, Sapienza C, Bartolomei M, Coutifaris C. Peri-implantation hormonal milieu: elucidating mechanisms of abnormal placentation and fetal growth. Biol Reprod. 2014;90:1–9.
Santos-Ribeiro S, Polyzos NP, Thi Ngoc Lan V, Siffain J, Mackens S, Van Landuyt L, et al. The effect of an immediate frozen embryo transfer following a freeze-all protocol: a retrospective analysis from two centres. Hum Reprod. 2016;31:2541–8.
Lattes K, Checa MA, Vassena R, Brassesco M, Vernaeve V. There is no evidence that the time from egg retrieval to embryo transfer affects live birth rates in a freeze-all strategy. Hum Reprod. 2017;32:368–74.
Ozgur K, Berkkanoglu M, Bulut H, Humaidan P, Coetzee K. Perinatal outcomes after fresh versus vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer—a retrospective analysis. Fertil Steril. 2015;104:899–907.
Gardner DK, Lane M, Stevens J, Schenkler T, Schoolcraft WB. Blastocyst score affects implantation and pregnancy outcome: towards a single blastocyst transfer. Fertil Steril. 2000;76:1155–8.
Ozgur K, Berkkanoglu M, Bulut H, Humaidan P, Coetzee K. Agonist depot versus OCP programming of frozen embryo transfer: a retrospective analysis of freeze-all cycles. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2016;33:207–14.
Işıkoğlu M, Özdem S, Berkkanoğlu M, Jamal H, Şentürk Z, Özgür K. Single dose 1.88 mg depot leuprolide is as efficient as daily short acting leuprolide in ICSI cycles. Hum Reprod. 2007;22:1657–61.
Fauser BC, Devroey P. Reproductive biology and IVF: ovarian stimulation and luteal phase consequences. Trends Enocrinol Metab. 2003;14:236–42.
Venetis CA, Kolibianakis EM, Bosdou JK, Tarlatzis BC. Progesterone elevation and probability of pregnancy after IVF: a systematic review and meta-analysis of over 60 000 cycles. Hum Reprod Update. 2013;19:433–57.
Imudia AN, Goldman RH, Awonuga AO, Wright DL, Styer AK, Toth TL. The impact of supraphysiologic serum estradiol levels on peri-implantation embryo development and early pregnancy outcome following in vitro fertilization cycles. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2014;31:65–71.
Nastri CO, Lensen SF, Gibreel A, Raine-Fenning N, Ferriani RA, Bhattacharya S, et al. Endometrial injury in women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;22(3):CD009517.
An Y, Sun Z, Li L, Yajuan Zhang Y, Ji H. Relationship between psychological stress and reproductive outcome in women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment: psychological and neurohormonal assessment. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2013;30:35–41.
Kyrou D, Al-Azemi M, Papanikolaou EG, Donoso P, Tziomalos K, Devroey P, et al. The relationship of premature progesterone rise with serum estradiol levels and number of follicles in GnRH antagonist/recombinant FSH-stimulated cycles. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2012;162:165–8.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
The present study was performed in compliance with the Akdeniz University, Faculty of Medicine, Clinical Research Ethics Committee’s requirements, with all patients completing a signed informed IVF consent that included permission to use anonymised data in research.
Conflict of interests
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ozgur, K., Bulut, H., Berkkanoglu, M. et al. Frozen embryo transfer can be performed in the cycle immediately following the freeze-all cycle. J Assist Reprod Genet 35, 135–142 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-017-1048-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-017-1048-6