Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Successful live birth from vitrified oocytes after 5 years of cryopreservation

  • Assisted Reproduction
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To report a birth of a healthy boy after long-term cryopreservation of oocytes by vitrification.

Design

Clinical application.

Setting

IVF Center.

Patient

A 17 year-old female with secondary pulmonary hypertension caused by transposition of great vessels visited our center in 2002, and she wished oocytes cryopreservation to avoid possible sterility after the following category X medication treatment.

Intervention(s)

Vitrified oocytes on Electron Microscope (EM) grids were warmed after 5 years of storage. Surviving MII oocytes were microinjected for fertilization and two embryos were transferred into a gestational carrier day 5 after microinjection.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Survival, fertilization, cleavage, clinical pregnancy and delivery.

Result(s)

Eleven out of fourteen oocytes (78.6%) survived warming. Eight Metaphase II (MII) oocytes and 3 in vitro matured oocytes were microinjected; all 11 oocytes (100%) fertilized and 2 embryos were transferred on day 5. A healthy baby boy weighing 3,600 g was delivered at 38 weeks of gestation. Live-birth rates per warmed oocyte and per injected oocyte were 7.1% and 9.1% respectively.

Conclusion(s)

Cryopreservation after vitrification with EM grids maintained the developmental competence of oocytes after long-term storage and resulted in a successful live birth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Chen C. Pregnancy after human oocyte cryopreservation. Lancet. 1986;1:884–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hong SW, Chung HM, Lim JM, Ko JJ, Yoon TK, Yee B, et al. Improved human oocyte development after vitrification: a comparison of thawing methods. Fertil Steril. 1999;72:142–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kuleshova L, Gianaroli L, Magli C, Ferraretti A, Trounson A. Birth following vitrification of a small number of human ocoytes: case report. Hum Reprod. 1999;14:3077–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Chung HM, Hong SW, Lim JM, Lee SH, Cha WT, Ko JJ, et al. In vitro blastocyst formation of human oocytes obtained from unstimulated and stimulated cycles after vitrification at various maturational stages. Fertil Steril. 2000;73:545–51.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Yoon TK, Kim TJ, Park SE, Hong SW, Ko JJ, Chung HM, et al. Live births after vitrification of oocytes in a stimulated in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer program. Fertil Steril. 2003;79:1323–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Yoon TK, Lee DR, Cha SK, Chung HM, Lee WS, Cha KY. Survival rate of human oocytes and pregnancy outcome after vitrification using slush nitrogen in assisted reproductive technologies. Fertil Steril. 2007;88:952–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kuwayama M, Vajta G, Kato O, Leibo SP. Highly efficient vitrification method for cryopreservation of human oocytes. Reprod Biomed Online. 2005;11:300–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Kyono K, Fuchinoue K, Yagi A, Nakajo Y, Yamashita A, Kumagai S. Successful pregnancy and delivery after transfer of a single balstocyst derived from a vitrified mature human oocyte. Fertil Steril. 2005;84:1017.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lucena E, Bernal DP, Lucena C, Rojas A, Moran A, Lucena A. Successful ongoing pregnancies after vitrification of oocytes. Fertil Steril. 2006;85:108–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Vajta G, Nagy ZP. Are programmable freezers still needed in the embryo laboratory? Review on vitrification. Reprod Biomed Online. 2006;12:779–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Camus A, Clairaz P, Ersham A, Van Kappel AL, Savic G. Staub C [The comparison of the process of five different vitrification devices]. Gynecol Obstet Fertil. 2006;34:737–45.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Selman H, Angelini A, Barnocchi N, Brusco GF, Pacchiarotti A, Aragona C. Ongoing pregnancies after vitrification of human oocytes using a combined solution of ethylene glycol and dimethyl sulfoxide. Fertil Steril. 2006;86:997–1000.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Antinori M, Licata E, Dani G, Cerusico F, Versaci C, Antinori S. Cryotop vitrification of human oocytes results in high survival rate and healthy deliveries. Reprod Biomed Online. 2007;14:72–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Yang D, Brown SE, Nguyen K, Reddy V, Brubaker C, Winslow K. Live birth after the transfer of human embryos developed from cryopreserved oocytes harvested before cancer treatment. Fertil Steril. 2007;87(1469):e1–4.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Fabbri R, Porcu E, Marsella T, Rocchetta G, Venturoli S, Flamigni C. Human oocyte cryopreservation: new perspectives regarding oocyte survival. Human Reprod. 2001;16:411–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Borini A, Sciajno R, Bianchi V, Sereni E, Flamigni C, Coticchio G. Clinical outcome of oocyte cryopreservation after slow cooling with a protocol utilizing a high sucrose concentration. Human Reprod. 2006;21:512–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Chian RC, Huang JYH, Tan SL, Lucena E, Saa A, Rojas A, et al. Obstetric and perinatal outcome in 200 infants conceived from vitrified oocytes. Reprod Biomed Online. 2008;16:608–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Borini A, Cattoli M, Mazzone S, Trevisi MR, Nalon M, Iadorola I. Survey of 105 babies born after slow-cooling oocyte cryopreservation [abstract]. Fertil Steril. 2007;88:S13–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Cobo A, Domingo J, Perez S, Crespo J, Renohi J, Rellicer A. Vitrification: an effective new approach to oocyte banking and preserving fertility in cancer patients. Clin Transl Oncol. 2008;10(5):268–73.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kim TJ, Laufer LR, Hong SW. Vitrification of oocytes produces high pregnancy rates when carried out in fertile women. Fertil Steril. 2010;93:467–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Rama Raju GA, Jaya Prakash G, Murali Krishna K, Madan K. Neonatal outcome after vitrified day 3 embryo transfers: a preliminary study. Fertil Steril. 2009;92:143–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Desai N, Abdelhafez F, Bedaiwy MA, Goldberg J, Falcone T, Goldfarb J. Clinical pregnancy and live births after transfer of embryos vitrified on day 3. Reprod Biomed Onlin. 2010;20:808–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Hong SW, Sepilian V, Chung HM, Kim TJ. Cryopreserved human blastocysts after vitrification result in excellent implantation and clinical pregnancy rates. Fertil Steril. 2009;92:2062–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Grifo JA, Noyes N. Delivery rate using cryopreserved oocytes is comparable to conventional in vitro fertilization using fresh oocytes: potential fertility preservation for female cancer patients. Fertil Steril. 2010;93:391–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Professor Rogerio Lobo, M.D. (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY) for his valuable suggestions during the preparation of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, Morristown, NJ, 07960, USA

    Thomas J. Kim

  2. CHA Fertility Center, 5455 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1904, Los Angeles, CA, 90036, USA

    Thomas J. Kim & Seung Wook Hong

Authors
  1. Thomas J. Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Seung Wook Hong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seung Wook Hong.

Additional information

Capsule

Documentation of a pregnancy after long-term storage of vitrified oocytes.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, T.J., Hong, S.W. Successful live birth from vitrified oocytes after 5 years of cryopreservation. J Assist Reprod Genet 28, 73–76 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-010-9487-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-010-9487-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation