Live birth rate following a euploid blastocyst transfer is not affected by double vitrification and warming at cleavage or blastocyst stage

• Published in: Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 987 - 993
• Main Authors: Theodorou, Efstathios, Jones, Benjamin P., Cardenas Armas, Daniella F., Heath, Carleen, Serhal, Paul, Ben-Nagi, Jara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aneuploidy; Assisted Reproduction Technologies; Biopsy; Birth Rate; Blastocyst - pathology; Cryopreservation; Embryo Transfer; Embryos; Female; Genetic screening; Gynecology; Human Genetics; Humans; Live Birth; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Rate; Reproductive Medicine; Retrospective Studies; Vitrification; Live birth; Euploid; Miscarriage; Vitrified-warmed embryo transfer; Double vitrification; Blastocyst
• ISSN: 1058-0468; 1573-7330
• DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02440-0

Purpose To compare reproductive outcomes following a euploid embryo transfer, between those embryos vitrified-warmed twice to those vitrified-warmed once. Methods We retrospectively analysed 694 single euploid frozen embryo transfer cycles following preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). For cycles in group 1 (N = 451), embryos were biopsied for PGT-A at blastocyst stage and vitrified. For cycles in group 2 (N = 146), embryos were vitrified at blastocyst stage, before being warmed and biopsied for PGT-A and vitrified again. For cycles in group 3 (N = 97), embryos were vitrified on day-3, before being warmed, cultured to day-5 and biopsied for PGT-A and re-vitrified. Results The pregnancy, clinical pregnancy and livebirth rate in group 2 were not statistically different to group 1 (pregnancy rate, adjusted OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.62–1.91; clinical pregnancy, aOR 0.89, 95% CI 0.58–1.37; live birth rate, aOR 0.85, 95% CI 0.56–1.28). There was also no significant difference between group 3 and group 1, with similar pregnancy rate (aOR 1.22, 95% CI 0.74–1.99), clinical pregnancy rate (aOR 1.21, 95% CI 0.75–1.96) and live birth rate (aOR 1.15, 95% CI, 0.73–1.80). There was no significant difference in miscarriage rates between all three groups. The age at the oocyte collection, embryo quality and day of biopsy were associated with pregnancy, clinical pregnancy and live birth rate. Conclusion This study suggests that vitrifying and warming embryos twice at blastocyst or at cleavage and then blastocyst stage, can lead to similar reproductive outcomes to embryos vitrified-warmed once, after a single euploid embryo transfer.