Comparison of development and implantation of human embryos biopsied with two different methods: aspiration and displacement

Objective: To compare the development and implantation of human embryos biopsied with two different methods for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Design: Technique and method. Setting: A regional hospital IVF laboratory and private reproductive medicine clinic. Patient(s): Women undergoing IVF and PGD. Intervention(s): Day 3 embryos were biopsied with aspiration and displacement; the embryos were cultured to blastocyst stage and then transferred. Main Outcome Measure(s): Blastocyst rate, pregnancy rate, and implantation rate. Result(s): One hundred fifty-one embryos from 14 patients were biopsied with the blastomere displacement method and 51 embryos from 5 patients were biopsied with the aspiration method. Displacement used less time than aspiration; thus, the time of embryos exposed to biopsy solution was shorter when displacement was used. Blastocyst formation (55.6%-56.8%) and ongoing pregnancy rate (50%) were not different between the two biopsy methods. However, the implantation rate was significantly higher in patients with embryos biopsied using the displacement method (64.7%) than with the aspiration method (25%). Conclusion(s): Blastomere displacement uses less time and is an easy and simple method for embryo biopsy and could be used as an alternative method for embryo biopsy. Our results indicate that the displacement method minimizes embryo damage during biopsy that was indicated by a higher implantation rate.