Successful birth after transfer of vitrified human blastocysts with use of a cryoloop containerless technique.
OBJECTIVE
Clinical application of vitrification for the cryopreservation of human blastocysts.


METHODS
Clinical trial of vitrification of human blastocysts.


METHODS
Private assisted reproductive technology clinic.


METHODS
Supernumerary blastocysts after fresh blastocyst transfer were vitrified for subsequent transfer.


METHODS
Culture of pronuclear embryos to the blastocyst stage in sequential media and subsequent vitrification of supernumerary blastocysts using a cryoloop technique.


METHODS
Clinical outcome after transfer of vitrified blastocysts.


RESULTS
A total of 60 vitrified blastocysts from 21 patients were warmed, and the survival rate at 2 hours after warming was 63%. Six clinical pregnancies were achieved after 19 transfers. One healthy baby was born, four pregnancies are ongoing, and one ended in miscarriage.


CONCLUSIONS
Human blastocysts can be successfully vitrified by suspension on a small nylon loop and a direct plunge into liquid nitrogen. A delivery and ongoing pregnancies prove the safety of this method. This report documents the first successful pregnancy and delivery achieved by blastocyst vitrification using the cryoloop containerless technique.
Mukaida
T
T
Hiroshima HART Clinic, Japan. hart@enjoy.ne.jp
Nakamura
S
S
Tomiyama
T
T
Wada
S
S
Kasai
M
M
Takahashi
K
K
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous; D000328:Adult; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008596:Menotropins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D008596:Menotropins