What is blastocyst culture?

This is an automatically translated article.

This article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi Cam Van - IVF Lab Doctor - Reproductive Support Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital.
Blastocyst culture is a process of natural selection. If there are good quality embryos at division stage (both morphological and genetic) then at blastocyst stage will develop into good embryo. However, if the embryos are of poor quality, it will result in bad blastocysts or even the embryos will stop developing, which in turn leads to the failure to reach the blastocyst stage.

1. What is blastocyst culture?

Blastocyst culture is considered an advancement in the field of assisted reproduction. So what is blastocyst culture? Accordingly, blastocyst culture has clinical embryological significance to improve the quality of selected embryos for the purpose of transferring embryos into the uterus of women during in vitro fertilization.
Specifically, blastocyst culture is a process of natural selection. If there are good quality embryos at division stage (both morphological and genetic) then at blastocyst stage will develop into good embryo. However, if the embryos are of poor quality, it will result in bad blastocysts or even the embryos will stop developing, which in turn leads to the failure to reach the blastocyst stage.

2. Composition of blastocyst

The main components of blastocyst are as follows:
Cytoplasm of blastocyst: This cell layer includes the outermost layer of cells and will form an outer shell, the structure of this cell layer will develop into placenta to nourish the fetus over the course of 9 months and 10 days. Inner cell mass: This cell mass is located in the trophoblast layer and has the main task of developing into the fetus. During a natural pregnancy, at the blastocyst stage, the embryo will implant in the mother's uterus. The same is true with IVF pregnancy, but the special thing is that the embryo needs to be cultured in the best and most perfect conditions to develop to the blastocyst stage in order to give a healthy pregnancy. with the best quality embryos and high implantability, thereby increasing the success rate for each cycle of artificial insemination.

3. Blastocyst culture process

Embryo culture to blastocyst stage is being chosen by many people to increase the chances of pregnancy because natural selection can occur during embryo culture. The higher the rate of pregnancy in blastocysts, the lower the number of embryo transfers. Therefore, in routine embryo culture, there will be two processes as follows:
Embryo culture at the 2nd or 3rd day stage: This method of embryo culture is often referred to as dividing embryos; Embryo culture extends to the 5-day blastocyst stage or the 6-day-old blastocyst stage. If the embryo reaches this stage, it is commonly referred to as a blastocyst. Embryos in the division stage will be characterized by relatively low levels of biosynthesis with limited energy utilization. However, in contrast at the above stage, the embryo synthesis after day 3 increased, energy and substance exchange processes also increased significantly. Simultaneously, after egg retrieval, the oocytes were cultured in a medium equipped with optimal components for the purpose of development until fertilization at embryonic day 3 and continued to blastocyst on day 5 , Day 6.
However, it should be noted that embryos are very sensitive to the external environment, so it is necessary to maintain a very stable embryo culture environment, provide adequate nutrients as well as temperature and pH at an appropriate level. unify. Therefore, to achieve this stability in blastocyst culture requires advanced equipment as well as culture system and culture room system according to international standards.
Currently, customers can come to the Fertility Center - Vinmec International General Hospital. This is the leading center in Vietnam, which has developed and applied a comprehensive medical examination and treatment process, combining both gynecology and obstetrics and gynecology to provide the optimal method for each patient's case.
Advantages when customers choose Vinmec fertility center:
Equipped with modern equipment, clean air system according to international standards to ensure lab quality, single cabinet system to optimize quality embryo, improving the success rate for each cycle of artificial insemination. Implement most advanced assisted reproductive techniques in the world: ICSI (injection of sperm into the oocyte cytoplasm); support embryo escape membrane; Reproductive reserve: embryo freezing, sperm freezing, oocyte freezing to help customers take the initiative in giving birth at will, transferring embryos on day 5, minimizing pregnancy; male infertility techniques (PESA, MESA, TEFNA, TESE) Besides advanced reproductive support methods, a team of excellent doctors in the country and the world, with prestige and long-term experience in the field of infertility .

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