Intrauterine insemination-ready versus conventional semen cryopreservation for donor insemination: a comparison of retrospective results and a prospective, randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare fecundity rates following intrauterine insemination (IUI) with donor sperm frozen conventionally versus an IUI-ready preparation. DESIGN: Both retrospective results and a prospective, randomized study where recipients were assigned to one of two sperm cryopreservation methods in each cycle of intrauterine insemination are reported. SETTING: University-based infertility practice, affiliated private practices, and andrology laboratory. PATIENT(S): Women desiring therapeutic insemination in an effort to establish pregnancy. INTERVENTION(S): Intrauterine insemination with donor sperm frozen conventionally or by an IUI-ready protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cycle fecundity in donor IUI recipients. RESULT(S): In a retrospective analysis involving 642 inseminations in 209 recipients, 79 pregnancies were recorded for an overall pregnancy rate of 12.3% per insemination (or cycle): 11.3% with IUI-ready sperm and 13.9% with conventionally preserved sperm. In a follow-up prospective, randomized study, the pregnancy rate for IUI-ready sperm preparations was 36% per cycle (14 of 39) whereas that for conventionally preserved sperm was 19.6% per cycle (9 of 46). Thirteen of the 23 pregnancies occurred in the first study cycle of insemination; only two pregnancies were observed in patients undergoing more than four cycles of insemination. CONCLUSION(S): Cycle fecundity for IUI-ready donor sperm is equivalent to conventional cryopreserved sperm based on both prospective and retrospective assessments.

Subcutaneous human menopausal gonadotropin administration for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with intrauterine insemination cycles.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of administering human menopausal gonadotropin subcutaneously for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with intrauterine insemination. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective nonrandomized matched-group comparison. Study patients (n = 25) undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with intrauterine insemination infertility treatment between June 1998 and March 1999 self-administered human menopausal gonadotropin subcutaneously for ovulation induction. Cycles (n = 39) were analyzed for duration of human menopausal gonadotropin treatment, total number of ampules of human menopausal gonadotropin used, peak serum estradiol level, number of mature follicles (> or =15 mm), cycle fecundity, and acceptability of the subcutaneous route of human menopausal gonadotropin administration. Age-matched historical control subjects who followed the same protocol except for the route of human menopausal gonadotropin administration, which was instead intramuscular, were used for comparison. RESULTS: Study and control cycles did not differ with respect to duration of human menopausal gonadotropin treatment (7.49 vs 8.18 d), total number of ampules of human menopausal gonadotropin used (17.44 vs 19.55), peak serum estradiol level (881 vs 769 pg/mL), number of mature follicles (>/=15 mm; 3.39 vs 2.92), or cycle fecundity rate (15.4% vs 17.9%). Two study patients were switched from subcutaneous to intramuscular administration because of minor local injection site reactions. CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous human menopausal gonadotropin administration for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with intrauterine insemination treatment cycles was generally well tolerated and yielded stimulation parameters and pregnancy rates similar to those associated with the intramuscular route. Patients subjectively preferred subcutaneous human menopausal gonadotropin administration because of the ability to self-administer the injections, the use of a smaller injection needle, and reduced muscular pain at the injection site.

Initial experience with extended culture and blastocyst transfer of cryopreserved embryos.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the viability and transfer efficiency of cryopreserved embryos allowed to develop into blastocysts in extended culture for in vitro fertilization. STUDY DESIGN: The embryos for in vitro fertilization that had been cryopreserved at either 2 PN (pronuclear) or cleaving stage (day 1-3) were thawed and cultured for uterine transfer on day 5. Outcome for day 5 embryo transfer was prospectively compared with previous outcomes from embryos transferred on day 2 or 3. RESULTS: For embryos thawed and transferred on day 2 or 3 (n = 99), the pregnancy rate was 33%, the implantation rate per embryo transferred was 15.2%, and the rate of multiple gestations was 42.4% (14/33) with 35.7% of pregnancies having >/=3 gestational sacs. For extended culture embryos transferred on day 5 (n = 25), the pregnancy rate was 36%, the implantation rate per embryo transferred was 16.7%, and the rate of multiple gestations was 33.3% (3/9) with all of these being twins. For embryo transfers performed on day 5 in which only blastocysts were transferred (n = 9), the pregnancy rate was 66.7%, the implantation rate per blastocyst was 44.4% (greater than the rate for the day 2 or 3 embryos, P =.0043), and the rate of multiple gestations was 33.3% (2/6) with all of these being twins. In extended culture 29.8% of cryopreserved embryos progressed to the blastocyst stage. In this series 4 subjects (15.4%) did not have blastocysts by day 5. CONCLUSION: Acceptable pregnancy rates can be obtained from cryopreserved embryos cultured to the blastocyst stage with a significantly higher implantation rate. Transfer of embryos that have "self-selected" to blastocysts results in reduced risk of higher-order (>2) multiple gestations, because only 1 or 2 embryos are transferred.

Satellite in vitro fertilization: the Oregon experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare the results of preliminary evaluation, ovarian hyperstimulation, and monitoring of patients at a distant in vitro fertilization satellite center with those treated at the main campus of the program. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-four patients completing oocyte retrieval cycles at the Eugene satellite Oregon Health Sciences University in vitro fertilization program for the period Jan. 1, 1991, through Dec. 31, 1993, were compared with 222 patients at the main campus for age, peak estradiol level, number of oocytes retrieved, number of embryos, clinical pregnancy rate, and pregnancy outcome. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the Eugene in vitro fertilization satellite center and the main campus for any of the factors analyzed with the exception of clinical pregnancy rate. The clinical pregnancy rate per cycle at the Eugene satellite center was 39% while the Portland main campus rate was 23% (p = 0.027), presumably because of a larger number of couples with severe male factor infertility at the central site. CONCLUSION: A distant in vitro fertilization satellite program was highly successful in the Oregon experience. In addition to greater convenience to the patients, the program was highly comparable to the main campus program in measured parameter of ovarian hyperstimulation, oocyte retrieval, number of embryos, and pregnancy rate.