Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE:To review the outcomes of patients who underwent autologous oocyte thaw after planned oocyte cryopreservation. DESIGN/METHODS:Retrospective cohort study. SETTING/METHODS:Large urban university-affiliated fertility center. PATIENT(S)/METHODS:All patients who underwent ≥1 autologous oocyte thaw before December 31, 2020. INTERVENTION(S)/METHODS:None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)/METHODS:The primary outcome was the final live birth rate (FLBR) per patient, and only patients who had a live birth (LB) or consumed all remaining inventory (cryopreserved oocytes and resultant euploid/untested/no result embryos) were included. The secondary outcomes were laboratory outcomes and LB rates per transfer. RESULT(S)/RESULTS:A total of 543 patients underwent 800 oocyte cryopreservations, 605 thaws, and 436 transfers. The median age at the first cryopreservation was 38.3 years. The median time between the first cryopreservation and thaw was 4.2 years. The median numbers of oocytes and metaphase II oocytes (M2s) thawed per patient were 14 and 12, respectively. Overall survival of all thawed oocytes was 79%. Of all patients, 61% underwent ≥1 transfer. Among euploid (n = 262) and nonbiopsied (n = 158) transfers, the LB rates per transfer were 55% and 31%, respectively. The FLBR per patient was 39%. Age at cryopreservation and the number of M2s thawed were predictive of LB; the FLBR per patient was >50% for patients aged <38 years at cryopreservation or who thawed ≥20 M2s. A total of 173 patients (32%) have remaining inventory. CONCLUSION(S)/CONCLUSIONS:Autologous oocyte thaw resulted in a 39% FLBR per patient, which is comparable with age-matched in vitro fertilization outcomes. Studies with larger cohorts are necessary.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Characterize outcomes among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with sex chromosome disorders (SCDs) after oocyte cryopreservation (OC) consultation. METHODS:Retrospective case series of all AYA (< 25 years) patients with SCDs seen for OC consultation from 2011 to 2019 at a large, urban, academic fertility center. All AYA patients with an SCD seen for OC consult in the study time period were reviewed and included. Data collected included patient age, SCD type, number of patients who attempted OC, number of cycles attempted, and cycle outcomes. RESULTS:Twenty-two patients were included: 9 with Turner syndrome, 12 with mosaic Turner syndrome, and 1 with 47,XXX. Mean age at consult was 14.7 ± 3.5 years. Fourteen patients elected for OC: 5 with Turner syndrome, 8 with mosaic Turner syndrome, and 1 47,XXX who pursued 31 OC cycles total. Of those 14 patients, 10 underwent retrieval, 9 froze oocytes, and 8 froze mature (MII) oocytes. Seven patients underwent > 1 cycle and 7 had ≥ 1 cancelation. 3/3 patients who pursued cycles after 1st cancelation never got to retrieval. Age, SCD type, and baseline FSH did not predict ability to freeze MIIs. One patient returned after OC and attempted 4 ovulation induction cycles and 2 IVF cycles; all were canceled for low response. CONCLUSIONS:AYA patients with SCDs have a high risk of poor response and cycle cancelation but the majority froze MIIs. Thus, setting expectations is important. A larger sample size is needed to evaluate possible clinical predictors of success.

The objective of this study was to describe the opinions and attitudes toward planned oocyte cryopreservation (POC) among Black Obstetrician Gynecologists (BOG) and their experiences in counseling patients of color. A web-based, cross-sectional survey was distributed to BOGs. The survey consisted of questions pertaining to personal family building goals, fertility preservation, education and patient counseling experiences regarding POC. Of the 136 potential participants, the response rate was 50% (n = 68). Sixty-six percent of respondents felt the need to postpone childbearing due to medical training and 19% had already undergone POC or planned to in the future. A majority (70%) felt that all women planning to undergo medical training should consider POC, and a subgroup analysis showed this was more likely to be reported within BOG trainees (p < 0.01). Fifty-seven percent received education on POC and 25% felt "very comfortable" counseling patients on POC. Those age < 35 years were more likely to feel the need to postpone family building due to their medical training (p < 0.01). Generalist attendings who had not undergone POC were significantly more likely to report regret, compared to subspecialists (p < 0.03). Medical careers may have an unfavorable impact on family building, and our results highlight this effect in Black women. A better understanding of the mitigating factors is needed to develop culturally appropriate counseling and educational interventions for Black women and other women of color.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:To determine whether sociodemographic differences exist among female patients accessing fertility services post-cancer diagnosis in a representative sample of the United States population. METHODS:All women ages 15-45 with a history of cancer who responded to the National Survey for Family Growth (NSFG) from 2011 to 2017 were included. The population was then stratified into 2 groups, defined as those who did and did not seek infertility services. The demographic characteristics of age, legal marital status, education, race, religion, insurance status, access to healthcare, and self-perceived health were compared between the two groups. The primary outcome measure was the utilization of fertility services. The complex sample analysis using the provided sample weights required by the NSFG survey design was used. RESULTS:Five hundred forty-five women reported a history of cancer and were included in this study. Forty-three (7.89%) pursued fertility services after their cancer diagnosis. Using the NSFG sample weights, this equates to a population of 161,500.7 female cancer survivors in the USA who did utilize fertility services and 1,811,955.3 women who did not. Using multivariable analysis, household income, marital status, and race were significantly associated with women utilizing fertility services following a cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS:In this nationally representative cohort of reproductive age women diagnosed with cancer, there are marital, socioeconomic, and racial differences between those who utilized fertility services and those who did not. This difference did not appear to be due to insurance coverage, access to healthcare, or perceived health status.

The use of planned oocyte cryopreservation for nonmedical need has been steadily increasing, especially since the experimental label on this procedure was lifted nearly 10 years ago. With this rise, patients' desires to postpone or conserve their reproductive potential have become increasingly nuanced, and the need for complex individualized counseling has grown. In addition, there are several ethical considerations, including risks, access, and patient comprehension that must be discussed with patients who are considering this procedure. In this review, we provide an in-depth discussion of these concepts, highlighting the need for individualized and comprehensive counseling that recognizes the gaps in knowledge that remains in this somewhat novel domain.