Dr Akash Sharma- Embryo Culture

Embryo culture is a part of IVF treatment which involves culture or development of resultant embryos for some time (normally ranges from 2-6 days) before being implanted into female uterine cavity.

Normally embryos are cultured by the embryologists from two to six days. This duration varies because of different stages of embrogenesis and embryo transfer. The first one and main stage is cleavage stage which remains from 2 to 4 days after co-incubation. Second is the blastocyst stage which comes at 5^th or 6^th day after co-incubation.

Blastocyst stage of embryo culture sigficantly increase the chances of conception but at the same times decreases the number of embryos available by then for the purpose of embryo cryopreservation and embryo transfer. Thus one can understand that cleavage stage has increased cumulative clinical pregnancy rates.

Embryo culture is performed in two ways- artificial culture medium or the autologous endometrial coculture. This autologous endometrical coculture means culture to be performed on the top layer of cells from the woman’s own uterine lining. Embryo can be cultured completely via a single medium or sequentially with the above two mediums.

Although no significant perversion or disorder is reported in humans yet studies with animal have detected some epigenetic abnormalities in the embryos that have undergone embryo culture.

Dr Akash Sharma, the senior embryologist of The adam and eve test tube baby centre and research institute, noida has great expertise and rich experience in the field of embryology and embryo culture.