Hey friends! I wanted to share some exciting experiences I had recently while attending a major conference on reproductive medicine in São Paulo, Brazil. It was an action-packed few days where I got to connect with medical and lab professionals from Brazil and other parts of South America to discuss the latest breakthroughs in reproductive technologies.
Hands-On Vitrification Workshops
During my time there, I conducted some hands-on vitrification workshops for advanced embryologists. We really dove into the nitty-gritty of the techniques that have helped us achieve high success rates with freezing oocytes and embryos. With eight groups of eager students, we practiced with mouse embryos and bovine oocytes, which made for a great learning experience!
Presenting Our Findings
Following the workshops, I had the opportunity to present three lectures on the embryology lab procedures we’ve developed. One of my talks focused on assisted hatching, a procedure that’s become essential after frozen embryo transfers. We found that the outer shell surrounding oocytes and embryos hardens during freezing, so we came up with a method to help them break free after thawing. This topic has drawn a lot of interest in Brazil, and it was great to share our findings.
Embryo Culture System
I also discussed our embryo culture system, which really piqued the interest of the Brazilian embryologists. We’ve worked hard to create an environment that boosts the chances of embryos reaching the blastocyst stage. By minimizing handling and allowing embryos to grow in groups, we’ve managed to improve efficiency significantly. In fact, we can culture embryos until day 7 after retrieval, which can yield 10-15% more blastocysts compared to the traditional day 6 cultures. This means better outcomes for our patients!
Maintaining Global Connections
After returning, I recorded a short video to introduce my lectures for the conference website. Our goal is to maintain strong connections with embryologists worldwide, sharing insights to ensure that patients everywhere can benefit from technological advancements.
Further Reading
If you’re interested in learning more about home insemination and its potential implications on childhood asthma, check out our other blog post here. Also, for those considering the journey of artificial insemination, Make a Mom has some valuable resources. You might also find this Mayo Clinic article helpful as it provides great information on pregnancy and home insemination.
Conclusion
In summary, my experience in Brazil was incredibly rewarding. Not only did I get to share our lab’s advancements, but I also learned so much from my peers. It’s inspiring to see how collaboration across borders can enhance reproductive care.