Frozen Embryo Transfer: What Is The Procedure

 Gametes being extracted from the male and the female reproductive tract, putting the sperm and the egg in a lab to fertilize, the resultant embryo then being transferred into the uterus, for a viable pregnancy to grow. Sounds straight out of a Sci-Fi movie right? But it’s not! It’s Just Sci, Science! 

IVF is such a wondrous technique, and is so common, that it makes you be in complete awe of how much science has progressed. Though the treatment is now over 40 years old in our country and has benefitted thousands of couples to become parents to children and fight infertility, IVF treatment just keeps getting better. The advancement in Science, equipment, and expertise of doctors has made it possible for everyone to have a baby, with varying levels of success. The IVF Treatment in itself is a long procedure, requiring commitment for a couple of weeks and strict compliance with your doctor’s advice. Your doctor might make you aware of Fertility Facts, How to Boost Fertility Naturally for Women, and How to Boost Fertility Naturally for Men to help you conceive with IVF treatment. It is important you are aware of the IVF Process, How long does the IVF process take, IVF Costs, and how to prepare yourself for IVF physically, emotionally, and financially before you start with your IVF treatment. 

Frozen Embryo Transfer Procedure (FET Procedure) 

IVF procedure ensures the production of an embryo after successful fertilization of the male and the female gametes, aka the Sperm and the ovum in a lab environment. Once the gametes fertilize to form an embryo, the embryo is transferred into the female reproductive tract to be implanted and develop a viable pregnancy. For IVF treatment procedures, more than one embryo is usually made for the IVF treatment procedure. Embryos for fresh transfer may be used in the same cycle, while the other embryos are frozen for further use. For some IVF treatment procedures, the doctor may recommend freezing all Embryos, as seen with some people who have PCOS opting for IVF to avoid OHSS. 

Frozen Embryo transfer or FET procedure can be done in the following ways – 

·         Traditional Frozen Embryo transfer – In the Traditional FET procedure the temperature of embryos is taken from 37 degrees celsius to -196 degrees celsius. 

·         Vitrification or Fast Freezing Frozen Embryo Transfer – In this FET procedure the embryo temperature is taken from 37 degrees to -196 degrees in a fraction of a second, this prevents the formation of ice crystals in the cytoplasm of the embryo. This technique has significantly improved the quality of frozen embryos. Fast Freezing Embryo Transfer also makes these embryos usable for many years. 

Benefits of Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET Procedure) 

IVF procedure results in the formation of many embryos and only 2-3 are transferred per cycle of IVF. Frozen Embryo Transfer or FET procedure allows all good quality embryos that are not being used in the IVF cycle to be harvested for future IVF cycles if one cycle was to be unsuccessful, and can also be utilized for future pregnancies. 

If a person such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome the doctor may recommend a frozen embryo transfer as transferring a fresh embryo in the same cycle as the egg retrieval may cause an Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. 

Additionally, Frozen Embryo Transfer may provide some benefits when compared to Fresh Embryo Transfer. 

For egg retrieval, a number of medications and injections are given to the person. In a fresh embryo transfer, there are elevated estrogen levels in the body, which can thin the endometrium of the uterus, which can reduce the chances of pregnancy. For a frozen embryo cycle, the size of the ovaries is normal and the hormonal levels are balanced, hence it may improve the implantation of the embryo. 

Frozen Embryo Transfer Drawbacks 

Frozen Embryo Transfer also has certain drawbacks that you need to keep in mind while opting for this technique of FET Transfer. 

Frozen Embryo Transfer Technique has the following drawbacks – 

·         It makes the procedure more time-consuming and lengthy. Since the embryos are produced in a different menstrual cycle and implanted into the uterus in another menstrual cycle, it significantly increases the time for How long does the IVF process takes. 

·         It increases the costs of the IVF cycle since there are additional procedures involved like freezing and thawing of eggs. However, Frozen Embryo Transfer can reduce the cost of subsequent cycles if the first IVF cycle is unsuccessful, as the medications and injections required to induce superovulation or ovulation as well as procedures such gametes retrieval don’t have to be repeated since embryos are available. 

Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET procedure): Is It The Right Approach for your IVF Treatment? 

Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET procedure) has its own set of benefits as well as drawbacks. Some candidates may benefit from Frozen embryo transfer and this needs to be discussed with your IVF Doctor. 

Some patients who might benefit from Frozen Embryo Transfer include – 

·Patients with PCOS – Patients with PCOS have an increased risk of OHSS with fresh embryotransfer, hence a frozen embryo transfer may be preferred. Freeze all embryo is a much better approach for these patients. 

·Embryos requiring genetic testing – Freezing embryos helps when embryos need to be genetically tested. 

· Patients with uterine anomalies – Patients who have uterine conditions such as adenomyotic uterus and endometriosis might benefit better from FET Procedure. 

· Patients with Elevated Progesterone levels – Patients who have elevated progesterone FET might be better than Fresh Embryo Transfer.

Take Away 

While science has made it possible to choose from Fresh and Frozen Embryo Transfer, It is your doctor who can advise you about which of these procedures are better for your IVF cycle and tell you Frozen Embryo Transfer Tips. If you’re looking for IVF and Infertility related advice, our expert panel of Doctors can help you with any IVF-related queries that you have with a consultation. Our IVF Junction Support Forum is completely free to join and is a non-judgmental place to ask all your infertility, female reproductive disorders, and reproductive health related queries. At IVF Junction you, your health, and your dream to conceive are our top priorities, and we only partner with clinics that reflect this motto. We have developed the IVF Junction Cost Calculator Tool and the IVF Junction EMI Calculator Tool to help you understand how you can finance your IVF treatment. Our Partners have strictly ethical practice and complete transparency of treatment with no Hidden Costs. You can just focus on your IVF treatment and leave all your concerns to the experts at IVF Junction, we are going to help you along your IVF Journey to make it a joyous and fulfilling one. 

 

Source: https://ivfjunction.com/blog/frozen-embryo-transfer/

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