Laurel Fertility Care Doctors Attend ESHRE

Friday, July 16 – San Francisco, Calif. - Laurel Fertility Care Medical Director, Dr. Collin Smikle, and Lab Director, Dr. Marlane Angle, returned to San Francisco after attending the European Society of Human Reproductive Embryology (ESHRE) Annual Meeting in Rome, Italy June 27-30, 2010. Attendees of the ESHRE meeting included some of the top reproductive health professionals in the world – from doctors to leading researchers.

During the four day meeting, 19 researchers shared the latest global research on fertility treatments and advancements in the reproductive field. Recapping the week, Laurel Fertility Care doctors highlighted these key learning points:

1. Vitrification is the preferred method for cyropreseriving human embryos. Several presentations at the meeting validated our current method of cryopreserving embryos.  Vitrification is a way to rapidly freeze eggs and embryos and has begun to replace the traditional method of freezing called slow cooling that has been done since 1985.  Several reports at ESHRE documented that survival rates of vitrified embryos exceed those of slow cooled embryos and that pregnancy rates are better.  Our current recovery rates of 99.6% of the embryos frozen, and survival of 98.6% of the embryos are slightly, but not significantly better, than some of the reported data (survival rates of 95-96%).  Miscarriage, premature delivery, and congenital defect rates after vitrification were reported as being similar to these rates in fresh transfers.  All of this information confirms that vitrification is the preferred method for cryopreserving human embryos. (Abstracts O-028, van Loendersloot et al; O-029, Oka et al; O-030, Nagy, et al; O-031, Fasano et al; and O-032, Sipe et al. Human Reproduction 25: Supplement 1, 2010.)
2. The safety of Pre-Implantation Genetics analysis is questionable but breakthrough technology is being developed. Pre-Implantation Genetics analysis of eggs and embryos continues to be a “hot-button” topic with some investigators suggesting that the method may be more harmful than useful, but others reporting that the information gleaned using this technology may justify the potential decrease in pregnancy rates for some selected groups of patients such as those seeking family balancing and those with inherited familial genetic diseases.  Currently the PGD technology is developing quickly, with several new types of testing being available to clinics including ”snip” and array CGH (Continuous Genomic Hybridization) of polar bodies, multicell embryos or blastocysts.  Laurel Fertility is working with several testing sites to provide multiple venues of testing depending upon the need for patients seeking PGD services for family balancing, chromosomal translocations, or single gene defects, all groups who may benefit from PGD testing. (Abstract O-041,  Harper, et al; O-156, van Uum, et al; O-157, Ling et al; O-158, Mir et al; O-160, Labarta et al). Read the rest of this article »