PREGNANCY AFTER ZONA DRILLING OF CRYOPRESERVED THAWED EMBRYOS - CASE-REPORT

Objective: To confirm successful implantation of IVF, cryopreserved hu man embryos after assisted hatching with acidic Tyrode's solution. Des ign: Case report. Setting: In vitro fertilization-ET facility of a uni versity-based practice. Patient: A 28-year-old female with nonoperable bilateral tubal occlusion and >1 1/2 years of primary infertility. In terventions: The patient was stimulated for egg retrieval after an hMG -controlled ovarian hyperstimulation regime. Luteal phase leuprolide a cetate (1 mg) was administered SC for 10 days. The dose was then reduc ed to 0.5 mg, and she was give hMG and FSH IM twice daily until two le ad follicles reached 20 mm average diameter. The patient was administe red 10,000 IU hCG 36 hours before retrieval. Main Outcome Measures: Vi able pregnancy documented by ultrasound (US). Results: After the trans fer of five cryopreserved-thawed human embryos that were subjected to assisted hatching using acidic Tyrode's solution, the patient establis hed a triplet gestation as documented by US. Conclusion: This case rep ort demonstrates that zona drilling can be successfully applied to fro zen-thawed pronuclear stage embryos that were cultured to 72 hours wit hout damaging them, as evidenced by continued cleavage and resulting i mplantation.