10 years of IVF procedures show frozen sperm as good as fresh

May 12 2004

A review of the past ten years of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures at the Mayo Clinic revealed equivalent outcomes between frozen and fresh sperm for oocyte insemination, according to a new study unveiled today at the AUA’s Annual Scientific Meeting.

For some infertile couples, frozen sperm for IVF is advantageous because it decreases the risk of failure to obtain sperm on the day of oocyte retrieval. However prior to the results of this study, questions persisted concerning whether frozen sperm provided comparable outcomes.

“This data supports the continued and expanded use of frozen sperm for IVF,” says Shane Russell, M.D., lead investigator. “IVF can be a physically, financially and emotionally draining process for couples, and use of frozen sperm eliminates the pressure of obtaining sperm on a specific day and unnecessary risk to the woman due to ovarian hyperstimulation ” adds Alan Thornhill, Ph.D., senior author and in vitro fertilization laboratory director.

Researchers reviewed 2,039 consecutive IVF cycles between 1993 and 2003. Overall frozen and fresh IVF outcomes were compared, as well as the subgroups of sperm retrieval methods, including microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA), testicular sperm extraction (TESE), and electroejaculation (EJ). The outcomes measured included mean fertilization rate, embryo quality, and most importantly, the chance of having at least one live birth event from a single oocyte retrieval/cycle. http://urologyhealth.org/