Chapter 24
Vitrification: A Simple and Successful Method
for Cryostorage of Human Blastocysts
Juergen Liebermann
Abstract
Cryopreservation is one of the keystones in clinical infertility treatment. Especially vitrification has become a
well-established and widely used routine procedure that allows important expansion of therapeutic strategies when IVF is used to treat infertility. Vitrification of human blastocysts allows us to maximize the
potential for conception from any one in vitro fertilization cycle and prevents wastage of embryos. This goes
even further toward to best utilize a patient’s supernumerary oocytes after retrieval, maximizing the use of
embryos from a single stimulation cycle. The technology can even be used to eliminate fresh embryo
transfers for reasons of convenience, uterine receptivity, fertility preservation, preimplantation genetic
diagnosis, or emergency management. In this chapter, the application of vitrification technology for
cryopreserving human blastocyst will be revealed through step-by-step protocols. The results that are
presented using the described protocols underscore the robustness of the vitrification technology for
embryo cryopreservation.
Key words Human blastocyst, Cryopreservation, Embryo transfer, Cryostorage, Vitrification
1 Introduction
1.1 General
Background
The impact of cryopreservation on the growth and improved efficiency of assisted reproduction in humans has become increasingly
appreciated. With approximately one quarter of a million babies
born following cryopreservation, cryopreservation has been shown
to increase pregnancy rates while allowing for further selection of
embryos. Therefore, it is possible to achieve implantation and
pregnancy rates with frozen-thawed embryos as high as those
achieved with fresh embryos. Blastocysts have been shown to
increase pregnancy rates while allowing for further selection of
embryos. A lower number of embryos are being transferred resulting in less high-order multiple pregnancies and increased implantations. In addition, a decreased number of embryos are transferred
increasing the potential for more embryos to be placed in frozen
storage and expose the patient to fewer fresh cycles. The
Willem F. Wolkers and Harrie ¨ tte Oldenhof (eds.), Cryopreservation and Freeze-Drying Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology,
vol. 2180, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0783-1_24, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
501
Vitrification: A Simple and Successful Method
for Cryostorage of Human Blastocysts
Juergen Liebermann
Abstract
Cryopreservation is one of the keystones in clinical infertility treatment. Especially vitrification has become a
well-established and widely used routine procedure that allows important expansion of therapeutic strategies when IVF is used to treat infertility. Vitrification of human blastocysts allows us to maximize the
potential for conception from any one in vitro fertilization cycle and prevents wastage of embryos. This goes
even further toward to best utilize a patient’s supernumerary oocytes after retrieval, maximizing the use of
embryos from a single stimulation cycle. The technology can even be used to eliminate fresh embryo
transfers for reasons of convenience, uterine receptivity, fertility preservation, preimplantation genetic
diagnosis, or emergency management. In this chapter, the application of vitrification technology for
cryopreserving human blastocyst will be revealed through step-by-step protocols. The results that are
presented using the described protocols underscore the robustness of the vitrification technology for
embryo cryopreservation.
Key words Human blastocyst, Cryopreservation, Embryo transfer, Cryostorage, Vitrification
1 Introduction
1.1 General
Background
The impact of cryopreservation on the growth and improved efficiency of assisted reproduction in humans has become increasingly
appreciated. With approximately one quarter of a million babies
born following cryopreservation, cryopreservation has been shown
to increase pregnancy rates while allowing for further selection of
embryos. Therefore, it is possible to achieve implantation and
pregnancy rates with frozen-thawed embryos as high as those
achieved with fresh embryos. Blastocysts have been shown to
increase pregnancy rates while allowing for further selection of
embryos. A lower number of embryos are being transferred resulting in less high-order multiple pregnancies and increased implantations. In addition, a decreased number of embryos are transferred
increasing the potential for more embryos to be placed in frozen
storage and expose the patient to fewer fresh cycles. The
Willem F. Wolkers and Harrie ¨ tte Oldenhof (eds.), Cryopreservation and Freeze-Drying Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology,
vol. 2180, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0783-1_24, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
501