Fertilized eggs are more successful in frozen than fresh transfer, study shows.
In an effort to study how to optimize euploid embryo transfers, researchers from Reproductive Medicine Associates (RMA) of New York took a close look at the impact of transferring fresh embryos as opposed to frozen. The findings, which demonstrated frozen embryos provide better fertility outcomes, came from an abstract presented at the recent 73rd annual meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
Alan B. Copperman, Co-Director of RMA of NY and Vice Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, explained, "Optimal care of the infertile couple involves compassion, science, and data-driven decisions. With the advent of next generation sequencing of embryos, the likelihood of conception from infertility treatment has improved markedly. Despite early concerns that success would be hindered by freezing and thawing embryos, in this large multi-center study we demonstrated that transfer of a thawed embryo actually improves success rates and patient outcomes."
According to RMA, researchers analyzed 1,642 transfer cycles with 821 fresh and 821 frozen embryos. The study identified patients who had an embryo transferred after a freeze-all cycle enhanced their cycle’s ongoing pregnancy rates. Patients with frozen transfers were 11% more successful.
“This significant finding suggests patients who want to optimize their chances of having an ongoing pregnancy to consider a freeze-all transfer cycle,” explained RMA. “Also, the study's finding did not waiver by patient's age or the amount of progesterone administered during the cycle.”
Lead Author, Ange Wang, a Resident Physician in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine, added: "To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date to compare optimal transfer of euploid embryos in fresh transfer cycles versus freeze-only cycles. Our findings are potentially valuable to reproductive practitioners and patients to help inform decision-making in IVF cycles. This study also gives support towards leveraging big data to positively influence the decision making processes of clinical care."