Transport IVF-ICSI: Results of a 25-year experience

OBJECTIVE: This report presents a summary of the outcomes achieved at ART center FERTILAB in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with transport IVF-ICSI for 25 years (1990-2014). METHODS: This report included all patients submitted to oocyte retrieval for IVF-ICSI whose oocytes were transported from sites of aspiration located 0.5-58 kilometers away from the central laboratory. The numeric data herein reported were taken from annual reports submitted by our institution (Fertilab) and, for purposes of comparison, by all Argentinian centers to the Latin American Registry of Assisted Reproduction (RLA) within the same time period. RESULTS: From 1990 to 2014, 5091 aspirations followed by oocyte transport were performed in our center, resulting in 1258 pregnancies after fresh embryo transfers. The mean pregnancy/aspiration rate for the 25-year period was 24.71%. To validate the efficacy of our transport system, our results were compared to the outcomes of Argentinian centers reporting to RLA Argentina in the period ranging from 1990 to 2014. A total of 79,062 aspirations were performed, yielding 20,047 pregnancies and a pregnancy/aspiration rate of 25.36%. Delivery/aspirations rates were 15.34% for Fertilab patients and 14.79% for RLA Argentina centers. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the differences in clinical outcomes between our center and the bulk of Argentinian centers were not statistically significant, indicating that oocyte transport does not decrease the effectiveness of IVF-ICSI and might be advantageous under certain circumstances.