Objective: To determine whether the use of a central assisted reproduction laboratory, with gamete transport to the facility (transport assisted reproduction), would decrease oocyte quality or performance in IVF-ET and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Design: Retrospective clinical study.
Setting: Public and private fertility clinics.
Patient(s): A total of 467 couples underwent transport IVF, whereas 108 underwent transport ICSI. A group of 60 couples underwent conventional IVF during the same period. All methods and protocols used were similar among centers. Oocyte pick-up was performed by ultrasound-guided vaginal puncture.
Intervention(s): Oocytes were transported under controlled conditions, from the site of follicular aspiration to a central laboratory.
Main outcome measure(s): The fertilization and cleavage rates and clinical pregnancies were compared among the study populations.
Result(s): The differences between the fertilization and cleavage rates of ova and the rates of clinical pregnancies produced by transport and conventional methods were not statistically significant.
Conclusion(s): Gamete transport to a central laboratory was not harmful for oocytes or for the outcome of assisted reproduction. Transport makes the use of IVF and ICSI available to physicians who are not affiliated with an assisted reproduction program, reduces costs, and increases acceptability of the procedures to patients.