{"id":45390,"date":"2018-03-23T12:55:09","date_gmt":"2018-03-23T10:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/?p=45390"},"modified":"2022-04-12T17:35:47","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T15:35:47","slug":"embryo-transfers-faq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/embryo-transfers-faq\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the most frequently asked questions about embryo transfers?"},"content":{"rendered":"
You may have heard about frozen embryo transfers<\/strong> and may be confused or concerned, but there is no need to be. This process simply means that instead of the female patient going through ovarian stimulation at the start of each cycle of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)<\/a>, embryos from a previous cycle are thawed ready for implant instead. This cuts down on the amount of time that is needed for each cycle, and more importantly it offers the patient the chance to use the freshest possible eggs. The quality of eggs deteriorates with age, leading to the possibility of having a more difficult time conceiving. The fresher the eggs, the better the chance that they will be of high enough quality to result in pregnancy. A patient will have enough eggs collected during her first cycle to produce multiple embryos, the eggs that are fertilised and ready to be transferred back into the uterus. IVI offers single embryo transfer during IVF, meaning that the remaining embryos can be vitrified, ready to be used in future cycles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n IVI works with women between the ages of 18 and 50, offering the fertility treatment that is most appropriate for each patient\u2019s individual circumstances. In general, younger women have higher quality eggs, though of course this is not true in every case. Those who have suffered through multiple miscarriages, endometriosis, or early miscarriage may have different success rates to those who have other infertility issues, and this may be down to the quality of the eggs. However, the earlier a patient visits IVI and begins the fertility treatment, the higher the likelihood that her eggs will result in embryos and ultimately result in pregnancy. Any of IVI\u2019s female patients who go through ovarian stimulation are welcome to opt to freeze resulting embryos for future use.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fertility specialists use various terms at each stage of the process. An egg is also known as an oocyte, and the egg can be collected from the female patient or from an egg donor. Once the egg has been fertilised, it is known as a zygote. When the fertilised egg has developed and reached the second stage of development, usually beginning at day 5 after fertilisation, it becomes a blastocyst. Technically, this is the correct term to use until the tenth day after fertilisation, when the blastocyst enters the third stage of development and is then referred to as an embryo. The embryo does not enter the foetal stage until week ten of the pregnancy.<\/p>\n While many medical professional bodies refer to embryo transfer, this is a catch-all term that generally refers to the transfer of blastocysts. Blastocysts are given between three and five days to develop before being transferred into the uterus, with later-stage blastocysts having a higher chance of resulting in pregnancy in general.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Female patients go through hormone treatment at the start of their first cycle of IVF. This stimulates egg production, allowing the clinic to collect multiple eggs, rather than just the single one that would be released during a natural, unstimulated cycle. Collecting multiple eggs means that the clinic is able to produce as many embryos as possible. If the patient has opted for Preimplantation Genetic Screening or Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, one of the blastocysts may be subject to a biopsy to investigate genetic structure and possible genetic anomalies such as Down\u2019s Syndrome. A blastocyst will then be transferred back into the patient\u2019s uterus. The remaining embryos can, and should, be frozen. Fertilised eggs can be frozen at any stage of the process, including from day one, but it is much more common to allow the blastocyst to develop beforehand. Research shows that there is a better chance of a successful pregnancy from a blastocyst that has been allowed to develop for five days than from a fertilised egg that is transferred earlier.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The only differences between using fresh and frozen eggs in a cycle of IVF is that the female patient will not have to go through ovarian stimulation at the beginning of the frozen embryo transfer process<\/strong>, and that the male patient will not need to deliver his sperm. The male patient (or indeed, sperm donor) has already played his part and his genetic material is not needed again. This is also true of the female patient (or egg donor), but she will still need to go through hormone treatment to encourage thickening of the endometrial lining. This is the part of the cycle that prepares the womb for embryo implantation. The frozen blastocyst is thawed carefully and, when ready, transferred. The rest of the cycle is exactly the same as when fresh eggs are used, and rates of success remain stable, regardless of whether a fresh or frozen embryo is transferred.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The remaining steps of the cycle of IVF are exactly the same<\/a>. As this cannot be the patient\u2019s first attempt at conceiving via IVF, she will be familiar with what happens over the next few days. It can be tempting to take a pregnancy test at ten days after frozen embryo transfer<\/strong>, but the recommended advice from IVI is to continue to wait and to take a test from fourteen days post transfer. Testing too early may result in a false negative, which can cause upset. It should be borne in mind that the waiting time between transfer and taking a pregnancy test can seem long and frustrating. The patient may have questions about what to do after a frozen embryo transfer<\/strong>, but the answer is really that the best thing to do is to go on with life as normal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nWho can opt for frozen embryo transfers?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Frozen embryo transfer terminology<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How are eggs collected, fertilised and frozen?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How does the frozen embryo transfer process differ from IVF with fresh eggs?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What happens after Frozen Embryo Transfer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Chances of success with Frozen Embryo Transfer<\/strong><\/h2>\n