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Vitrification of Oocytes: General Considerations

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Vitrification in Assisted Reproduction

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Abstract

Vitrification is a reliable approach for cryopreservation of human oocytes. Its application in cryopreservation of oocytes is relatively new; however, it has been instrumental in establishing oocyte cryopreservation as a routine technique. Oocyte vitrification is a technique by which unfertilized oocytes can be cryopreserved and later used for fertility treatments by assisted reproductive techniques. Various studies in present times have established that oocyte vitrification and subsequent warming are producing clinical results comparable to the results achieved by fresh cycles. Oocyte vitrification provides an invaluable tool for the cancer patients to preserve their fertility. Its role in preserving fertility in women who have a depleting ovarian reserve or those who have a family history of premature menopause has also gained rapid acceptance in recent times. It is also important to note that various legal and ethical dilemmas associated with embryo freezing are easily obviated by oocyte freezing making it a far more acceptable technique for certain clients. It is a simple, inexpensive, and safe alternative to traditional slow cooling resulting in improved outcomes, whereas recent advances in the vitrification technique has helped achieve high morphological survival rates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IVF Department, Rotunda – The Center for Human Reproduction, 36 Turner Road, B Wing, 101, 1st Floor, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400050, India

    Goral Gandhi MSc & Aaisha Khatoon MSc

  2. IVF Department, Rotunda – The Center for Human Reproduction, 6A-31 Kalpataru Estates, Jogesvari Vikhroli Link Rd., Poonam Nagar, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400093, India

    Soumya Ramesh MD

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  1. Goral Gandhi MSc
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  2. Soumya Ramesh MD
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  3. Aaisha Khatoon MSc
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Correspondence to Goral Gandhi MSc .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Rotunda, The Centre for Human Reproduction, Mumbai, India

    Gautam Allahbadia

  2. Repro-Support Medical Research Centre, Tokyo, Japan

    Masashige Kuwayama

  3. Rotunda, The Center for Human Reproduction, Mumbai, India

    Goral Gandhi

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Gandhi, G., Ramesh, S., Khatoon, A. (2015). Vitrification of Oocytes: General Considerations. In: Allahbadia, G., Kuwayama, M., Gandhi, G. (eds) Vitrification in Assisted Reproduction. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1527-1_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1527-1_3

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