title: Cumulative live birth rates after transfer of cryopreserved ICSI embryos.
abstract: A cohort follow-up study was designed to assess the efficacy of an intracytoplasmic sperm injection cryopreservation programme through analysis of cumulative live birth rates in successive frozen-thawed cycles in a tertiary referral centre. There were 2013 patients and they underwent 2680 frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. The follow-up period was between 1992 and 2001. Only frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles up to the fourth trial were included. Crude cumulative live birth rates were calculated in five age subgroups, i.e. <30, 30-34, 35-37, 38-39 and >/=40 years old and in surgically or non-surgically retrieved sperm subgroups. Expected cumulative live birth rates were calculated only for the total number of patients. Outcome measure was a live birth occurring after 25 weeks of gestation. Overall, the expected cumulative live birth rate was as high as 26.7% after four cycles while the crude cumulative delivery rate was 10.5%. Multiple cryopreserved embryo transfer cycles increase the chance of a couple to achieve a live birth.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Dutch-speaking Brussels Free University, Laarbeeklaan 101, B 1090 Brussels, Belgium. osmanagaoglu@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Kaan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Osmanagaoglu
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kolibianakis
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tournaye
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camus
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Steirteghem
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Devroey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001723:Birth Rate; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism