Comparison of clinical outcomes between fresh embryo transfers and frozen-thawed embryo transfers

BACKGROUND Advances in embryo culture technology and cryopreservation have led to a shift in in vitro fertilization (IVF) from early fresh or frozen-thawed cleavage embryo transfer to fresh or frozen-thawed blastocyst stage transfer. OBJECTIVE To compare the clinical outcomes of fresh embryo transfers and frozen-thawed embryo transfers. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this retrospective case control study, patients undergoing IVF cycles from January 2012 to December 2012 were enrolled in Assisted Reproduction of Wuhan Union Hospital were enrolled. A total of 1891 cycle contains 1150 fresh embryo transfers and 741 frozen-thawed embryo transfers were studied. All data were transferred directly to SPSS 18 and analyzed. RESULTS Clinical pregnancy rates of fresh cleavage-stage embryo transfers compared with fresh blastocyst transfers, frozen-thawed cleavage-stage embryo transfers, post thaw cleavage-stage extended blastocyst culture transfers and frozen-thawed blastocyst transfers were 52.7%, 35.88%, 35.29%, 47.75%, 59.8% in patients under 35 years of ages and 41.24%, 26.92%, 11.32%, 46.15%, 55.8% in patients older than 35 years old, respectively. The multiple pregnancy rates, abortion rates and ectopic pregnancy rates did not differ significantly among the five groups. CONCLUSION The clinical pregnancy rates were not different significantly between fresh cleavage-stage embryo transfers and fresh blastocyst transfers. But the clinical pregnancy rate of frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer was the highest among fresh/frozen-thawed embryo transfers.