Background: Single embryo transfer (SET) provides the most certain means to reduce the risk of multiple gestation. Regrettably, prospective trials of SET have demonstrated reductions in per-cycle delivery rates. A validated method of comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS) has the potential to optimize SET by transferring only euploid embryos. This retrospective study evaluates the efficacy of SET with CCS in an infertile population.
Methods: Overall and age-controlled ongoing pregnancy rates (OPR) were compared between women undergoing SET following CCS (CCS-SET, n= 140) and those undergoing SET without aneuploidy screening (control SET, n= 182). All transfers were at the blastocyst stage, with CCS performed after trophectoderm biopsy of expanded blastocysts and analysis with rapid PCR allowing for fresh transfer.
Results: In the CCS-SET and control SET groups, an OPR of 55.0 and 41.8%, respectively, was obtained. The OPR was lower for the control group (P< 0.01) despite a younger age than the CCS group (37.3 ± 3.4 versus 34.2 ± 3.9 years; P< 0.001). Birthweight and gestational age at delivery were equivalent. The proportion of clinical pregnancies resulting in miscarriage was higher in the control group (24.8 versus 10.5%, P< 0.01), with more patients requiring surgical interventions for aneuploid pregnancies. There was one monozygotic twin delivery in the CCS group and none in the control group.
Conclusions: Compared with traditional blastocyst SET, SET after trophectoderm biopsy and rapid PCR-based CCS increases OPR and reduces the miscarriage rate. The enhanced selection empowered by CCS with SET may provide a practical way to eliminate multi-zygotic multiple gestation without compromising clinical outcomes per cycle.