Objective: To document outcomes of oocyte cryopreservation performed as a routine procedure in an IVF program.
Design: Describing the rate of oocyte survival, embryo transfer (ET), implantation, and live births of IVF-intracytoplasmic sperm injection performed on thawed oocytes.
Setting: Reproductive medicine center in Italy.
Patient(s): Women (n = 696) who failed to conceive after IVF-intracytoplasmic sperm injection with fresh oocytes.
Intervention(s): Surplus oocytes obtained during a failed cycle with fresh oocytes were frozen and then were thawed, micromanipulated, and transferred in a later cycle.
Main outcome measure(s): Rates of oocyte survival, ETs, implantation, and live births were calculated in the entire cohort and in patients aged <or=38 and >38 years.
Result(s): There were 29 pregnancies, for a total implantation rate of 6.3% (95% CI: 4.3, 9.0) per 456 ET cycles. The clinical-pregnancy rate was 19 (4.2%; 95% CI: 2.6, 6.4) of 456 ET cycles, with a take-home-baby rate of 7 (1.5%; 95% CI: 0.7, 3.0) of 456 ET cycles.
Conclusion(s): Cryopreservation performed as a routine procedure for so-called salvaging of surplus oocytes is associated with poor implantation rates and with a probability of 1 live birth in 65 ET cycles.