Search Results (3)

Background: In this research, we retrospectively studied the influence of the IVF vs. the ICSI technique on embryo morphokinetics by means of a time-lapse incubator in fresh cycles. Methods: A total of 2645 treatment cycles resulting in ovum pick-up of 11,471 fertilized oocytes were included in the research from 2018 to 2022. The embryos were grouped according to IVF or ICSI. Embryonic development was monitored using a time-lapse incubator, and they were transferred on day 3 or 5. Results: The embryos in the ICSI group developed faster and had less fragmentation. However, fewer 2PNs were achieved and more embryos were discarded compared to IVF. When sibling oocytes treated with either IVF or ICSI were analyzed, we found that ICSI resulted in quicker development and higher KIDScores. Discussion: The anovulation and PCOS subgroups were the primary contributors to the high KIDScores in sibling oocytes, indicating that ICSI might have beneficial effects on oocyte factors, similar to the positive results it provides when male factors are involved. Conclusions: Women with PCOS undergoing IVF had better results when ICSI was used compared to spontaneous IVF. This study reveals that ICSI is superior to IVF in female factor infertility. Full article

Human IVF embryos that are not used for fresh transfer are cryopreserved by vitrification for later embryo transfers. This study evaluates pre-vitrification and post-warming embryo characteristics that are suitable to predict the chance of clinical pregnancy in single vitrified blastocyst transfer (SVBT) cycles. In a multicenter observational trial (IMBOS trial), embryos were cultured in a time-lapse system before and after vitrification. Associations between clinical pregnancy, morphokinetic parameters, blastocyst collapse, KIDScore D5, pre-vitrification and post-warming Gardner scores, post-warming blastocyst size and re-expansion rates before SVBT were analyzed in 182 SVBTs which resulted in 89 clinical pregnancies. No association was found between clinical pregnancy after SVBT and the number of collapses or the maximal collapse size before vitrification. The multifactorial analysis of pre-vitrification Gardner scores showed a significant association with clinical pregnancy for trophectoderm grading but not for expansion/hatching status and inner cell mass grading. A significant association with clinical pregnancy was found for the time to reach a blastocyst after pronuclear fading (tB-tPNf), KIDScore D5 and post-warming size but not the rate of expansion or maximal expansion size. The selection of blastocysts for SVBT could benefit from using pre-vitrification parameters like tB-tPNf, trophectoderm grading and post-warming blastocyst size. Full article

Time-lapse systems (TLS) and associated algorithms are interesting tools to improve embryo selection. This study aimed to evaluate how TLS and KIDScore™ algorithm changed our practices of embryo selection, as compared to a conventional morphological evaluation, and improved clinical pregnancy rates (CPR). In the study group (year 2020, n = 303 transfers), embryos were cultured in an EmbryoScope+ time-lapse incubator. A first team observed embryos conventionally once a day, while a second team selected the embryos for transfer based on time-lapse recordings. In the control group (year 2019, n = 279 transfers), embryos were selected using the conventional method, and CPR were recorded. In 2020, disagreement between TLS and the conventional method occurred in 32.1% of transfers, more often for early embryos (34.7%) than for blastocysts (20.5%). Irregular morphokinetic events (direct or reverse cleavage, multinucleation, abnormal pronuclei) were detected in 54.9% of the discordant embryos. When it was available, KIDScore™ was decreased for 73.2% of the deselected embryos. Discordant blastocysts mainly corresponded with a decrease in KIDScore™ (90.9%), whereas discordant Day 3 embryos resulted from a decreased KIDScore™ and/or an irregular morphokinetic event. CPR was significantly improved in the TLS group (2020), as compared to the conventional group (2019) (32.3% vs. 21.9%, p = 0.005), even after multivariate analysis. In conclusion, TLS is useful to highlight some embryo development abnormalities and identify embryos with the highest potential for pregnancy. Full article