A frozen embryo transfer is a form of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment in which previously frozen embryos from a prior cycle are thawed and transferred into the woman’s uterus. Unlike traditional IVF, this procedure eliminates the need for the woman to undergo hormone stimulation to produce eggs.
Frozen embryo cycles can be undertaken on your natural cycle or using hormone preparation to prepare the endometrium to receive the embryos.
Why do we Freeze Embryos?
In an IVF cycle, it is typical for the woman to produce a substantial number of eggs, resulting in an abundance of good-quality embryos suitable for both immediate transfer and freezing. Furthermore, if there is an elevated risk of ovarian hyperstimulation, our preference is to freeze all the embryos and defer their transfer to a subsequent cycle.
Benefits of Embryo Freezing
Embryo freezing presents more opportunities for pregnancy for each hormone stimulation and oocyte retrieval.
Success Rates
The success rates of frozen embryo transfer are comparable to those of fresh embryo transfer. However, the ultimate outcome depends on several individual factors, such as the quality of the embryos, the quality of the uterine lining (endometrium), the woman’s age, and various other considerations.