Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine

The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine (대한생식의학회)
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The impact of post-warming culture duration on clinical outcomes of vitrified-warmed single blastocyst transfer cycles

  • Hwang, Ji Young (Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University) ;
  • Park, Jae Kyun (Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University) ;
  • Kim, Tae Hyung (Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University) ;
  • Eum, Jin Hee (Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University) ;
  • Song, Haengseok (Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University) ;
  • Kim, Jin Young (Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University) ;
  • Park, Han Moie (Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University) ;
  • Park, Chan Woo (Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University) ;
  • Lee, Woo Sik (Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University) ;
  • Lyu, Sang Woo (Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University)
  • Received : 2020.05.18
  • Accepted : 2020.08.08
  • Published : 2020.12.31
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Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the effects of long-term and short-term embryo culture to assess whether there is a correlation between culture duration and clinical outcomes. Methods: Embryos were divided into two study groups depending on whether their post-warming culture period was long-term (20-24 hours) or short-term (2-4 hours). Embryo morphology was analyzed with a time-lapse monitoring device to estimate the appropriate timing and parameters for evaluating embryos with high implantation potency in both groups. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust the confounding factors across groups. The grades of embryos and blastocoels, morphokinetic parameters, implantation rate, and ongoing pregnancy rate were compared. Results: No significant differences were observed in the implantation rate or ongoing pregnancy rate between the two groups (long-term culture group vs. short-term culture group: 56.3% vs. 67.9%, p=0.182; 47.3% vs. 53.6%, p=0.513). After warming, there were more expanded and hatching/hatched blastocysts in the long-term culture group than in the short-term culture group, but there was no significant between-group difference in embryo grade. Regarding pregnancy outcomes, the time to complete blastocyst re-expansion after warming is shorter in women who became pregnant than in those who did not in both culture groups (long-term: 2.19±0.63 vs. 4.11±0.81 hours, p=0.003; short-term: 1.17±0.29 vs. 1.94±0.76 hours, p=0.018, respectively). Conclusion: The outcomes of short-term culture and long-term culture were not significantly different in vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer. Regardless of the post-warming culture time, the degree of blastocyst re-expansion 3-4 hours after warming is an important marker for embryo selection.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the Technology Innovation Program (or Industrial Strategic Technology Development Program, 20003838) funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MI, Korea).

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