Cumulative pregnancy rates after transfer of fresh and thawed embryos

Frozen-thawed embryo transfer is an effective procedure that allows further possibilities of pregnancy in addition to those obtained after the fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF). In our follow-up study we analysed all fresh embryo transfer procedures and every frozen-thawed embryo transfer performed from January 2000 to December 2001 evaluating the cumulative pregnancy rates. The study population was divided into two groups according to the female age: <38 years (group I) and >38 years (group II). All the best embryos were chosen for transfer and all the supernumerary good quality embryos were cryopreserved on the day of transfer. The embryos were then thawed and manipulated using a new technique. In group I, 527 patients (619 cycles) underwent fresh embryo transfer and in 232 of them (238 cycles) the embryos were frozen (44% per patients and 38.4% per cycle). In group II, 156 patients (193 cycles) underwent fresh embryo transfer and in 14 of them (15 cycles) the embryos were frozen (9% per patient and 7.8% per cycle). The pregnancy rate of group I patients that had their supernumerary embryos frozen (232 patients and 238 cycles) was 47.4% per cycle and 48.7% per patient whereas in the same population of group II patients (14 patients and 15 cycles) the clinical pregnancy rate was 35.7% per cycle and 38.5% per patients. The cumulative clinical pregnancy rate after transfer of fresh and thawed embryos was: group I, 74% per cycle and 76% per patients; group II, 42.8% per cycle and 46.1% per patient. Frozen-thawed embryo transfer is a cost-effective practice.