BACKGROUND Guidelines for safe gamete donation have emphasised donor screening, although none exist specifically for testing oocyte recipients. Pre-treatment assessment of anonymous donor oocyte IVF treatment in Ireland must comply with the European Union Tissues and Cells Directive (Directive 2004/23/EC). To determine the effectiveness of this Directive when applied to anonymous oocyte recipie...

BACKGROUND A successful oocyte vitrification program is important for women with various indications for assisted reproduction technology. The objective of this study was to report the outcome of vitrification of oocytes, obtained through an oocyte donation program, by evaluating the embryo development, pregnancy and implantation rates (IRs) after blastocyst transfer. METHODS A total of 1098 oo...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate whether N680S FSHR polymorphism has a predictive value for the ovarian response to stimulation with gonadotropins and cycle outcome in our egg donor program. METHODS The oocyte donor candidates were selected according to the Instituto Bernabeu egg donation program requirements and ASRM and ESHRE guidelines for oocyte donation. The FSHR polymo...

The morphology of fertilization events has been related to successful implantation by subjective criteria (pronuclei score, pronuclei symmetry and position). This work first described these events by time-lapse technology and then compared the timings of fertilization events (second polar body extrusion, first and second pronuclei appearance, abuttal and fading) in implanted versus nonimplanted...

BACKGROUND This study aims to provide insight into the reasons for choosing an unknown oocyte donor and to explore recipients' feelings and wishes regarding donor information. METHODS In-depth interviews were carried out with 11 women at different stages of treatment. Seven were on a waiting list and four have given birth to donor oocyte babies. The interviews were analysed using interpretati...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this prospective randomised study was to evaluate if there is an improvement in clinical outcomes when assisted hatching (AH) is performed in embryos derived from vitrified/warmed oocytes in an ovum donation programme using egg cryobanking. STUDY DESIGN Sixty oocyte recipients in a donation programme using egg cryobanking were randomly allocated to the assisted hatc...

In 192 oocyte donation cycles performed between January 1993 and July 1996, we examined the width of 'the window for embryo transfer' using standard hormonal replacement methods. All transfers were performed within 48 h of insemination. We varied the day of embryo transfer with regard to the initiation of progesterone therapy and, thus, the duration of endometrial exposure to progesterone and a...

We have developed a coculture system with autologous human endometrial epithelial cells (AEEC) that retained many features of human endometrial epithelium. Implantation failure (IF; >3 previous cycles failed with 3-4 good quality embryos transferred) is a distressing condition in which 2-day embryo transfer repetition is the routine option. The objective of this study was to investigate the bas...