Frozen Embryo Transfer

Frozen/thawed embryo transfer (FET) is a treatment that involves implanting embryos that were retrieved from the patient during a previous IVF cycle and held safely in a frozen state.

About Frozen Embryo Transfer

The At Aakash we are routinely performing successful Frozen Embryo Transfers. One advantage of FET is reduced cost. When frozen embryos are available from a previous IVF treatment, subsequent implantations can be accomplished at a savings. The savings reflects the fact that IVF cycles with cryopreserved and thawed embryos are less involved and thus less costly than generating fresh embryos with a new IVF cycle.

Advantages of Frozen Embryo Transfer

For a similar reason, some patients find that preparing for a frozen embryo transfer involves less medication and may be easier than an IVF cycle. However FET treatments still require patients to take medications (hormones) to build the uterine lining to prepare to receive the embryos.

Frozen Embryo Transfer Treatment Procedures

The duration of FET treatments vary by patient; in general, most patients fall into the three- to four-week range
The number of embryos transferred depends on several factors: patient age, embryo quality, and the number of embryos available after the thawing process
Again, speaking in general terms, our fertility experts prefer to thaw one more embryo than was transferred in the fresh cycle.
Embryos are thawed individually until there are enough available to complete the transfer process as described above.
For example, if a patient needs three embryos transferred, initially three will be thawed, and depending on the survival rate, more will be thawed until three viable embryos are obtained. Embryos will be allowed to grow out one or two days after thaw.

Embryo Cryopreservation

Embryos are grown for several days before they are cryopreserved for later use, however may be frozen at any point after fertilization
Indeed, there is general consensus that cryopreservation (freezing) is possible at any stage of embryo development.
However while embryos frozen immediately after fertilization, demonstrate capacity to survive the thawing process, the embryos that prove most successful for achieving implantation are allowed to develop in the lab for a day or two prior to the cryopreservation process.