Safe & painless frozen embryo transfer by our specialized team.

Embryo freezing or cryopreservation is usually done at the blastocyst stage, on the fifth or sixth day of embryo development. Usually, a technique known as vitrification is used for this purpose. The process of vitrification involves the embryo being rapidly frozen to enter a glass-like state. The survival rate of embryos is more than 95%. The rate of pregnancy resulting from the use of frozen embryo is also great.

The process of embryo freezing has been performed for almost 40 years. There isn’t an exact known time for which the embryos can be frozen safely. However, there have been cases when pregnancy has been achieved even after the embryo was kept frozen for ten years. In all likeliness, it is possible to store embryos indefinitely.

You may opt to undergo a frozen embryo transfer cycle after an IVF cycle with the use of fresh embryo transfer was unsuccessful. If you have chosen to freeze the embryo, you can use it for future pregnancy. Hence, a frozen embryo transfer cycle may be used even after the previous IVF cycle with fresh embryo transfer resulted in a successful pregnancy.

If you no longer desire to store your frozen embryos, you have several options. In an ideal scenario, you can use them in a frozen embryo transfer cycle. If you decide on not having any future children, you can donate the frozen embryo to other couples wanting to have a baby. Another alternative option you have is to donate the frozen embryos for scientific research. Otherwise, frozen embryos may even be discarded as medical waste.

Studies conducted recently found that pregnancies resulting from frozen embryo transfer had better neonatal outcomes with longer gestational ages and higher birth weights for babies. Hence, it is safe to assume that the use of frozen embryo transfer cycles is at least as safe as using fresh embryo, if not better.

The success rate of frozen embryo transfer cycle is comparable to that of fresh IVF cycles. Factors like optimization of the uterine lining before implantation may even result in a better rate of success with frozen embryos. The primary success indicators are the same in both frozen and fresh IVF cycles, including the age of the woman when the embryo was frozen. A lot of patients wait for several years to attempt an IVF cycle after initially freezing their embryos. The time between embryo freezing and embryo thawing shouldn’t be a matter of concern. The potential for success with a frozen embryo transfer cycle is the same as that of a fresh IVF cycle.

The rate of pregnancy per frozen embryo transfer is 60% in women aged 35 or younger. As the age of the woman at the time of freezing increases, the pregnancy rate decreases.

Apart from the lower cost involved, a frozen embryo transfer cycle offers benefits like

• Less stress: As compared to fresh IVF cycles, frozen embryo transfer cycles are known to be less stressful, mainly due to the absence of factors like a response to ovarian stimulation, development of egg and growth of the embryo. Freezing high-quality embryos significantly improve the chances of success with frozen embryo transfer cycle.
  
  
• Less medication: Rather than ovarian stimulation medication, you would need to use progesterone and oestrogen for thickening the uterine lining to prepare it for embryo transfer and allow implantation. The ovarian stimulation is performed in the previous cycle, so egg retrieval isn’t needed with the use of anaesthesia.
  
  

When there are fewer cycle cancellations, cycles end up being more predictable. You can choose the day of transfer in advance, allowing us to then determine the date of cycle initiation.

If you are willing to undergo frozen embryo transfer, contact us and set an appointment with our doctors to discuss a potential frozen embryo transfer cycle. We will review your records for any necessary screening and medical testing. You will have to take progesterone and oestrogen to prepare for the cycle until the blood pregnancy test is performed.