Assessment of Survivability of Vitrified Embryos Depending on the Stage of Development

Abstract

Freezing embryos of excellent and good quality allows you to maintain reproductive potential for patients
in the future and achieve pregnancy using one stimulation cycle. Cryopreservation of embryos can be
carried out at any stage of development. Vitrification as a method of cryopreservation combines the use of
highly concentrated solutions of cryoprotectants and rapid (almost instantaneous) cooling by immersing
samples directly in liquid nitrogen. Due to this, the main goal of vitrification is achieved - the absence of the
formation of ice crystals, which can damage the cell structure. The advantages of vitrification are as follows:
a high concentration of cryoprotectants and a high cooling/thawing rate eliminate the damage caused by the
formation of intracellular ice, as well as the undesirable osmotic effects of dehydration and rehydration due
to extracellular crystal formation.