A Closer Look at Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) Procedure
- What is a FET-Frozen Embryo Transfer?
- When can you do a FET cycle?
- Why Choose FET?
- What are the Success rates for FETs?
- What are the Benefits of FET over a fresh IVF cycle?
In recent couple of years, the success with FET-Frozen Embryo Transfers has been increased substantially making it an increasingly favorable option to consider before moving to another fresh or stimulated IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) cycle. With FETs, you could extend the chance of conception per egg retrieval-ultimately saving you money & time if you happen to need multiple IVF cycles to achieve pregnancy.
What is a FET-Frozen Embryo Transfer?
A frozen embryo transfer-FET is a cycle in which the cryopreserved embryos created from a previous fresh IVF/donor egg cycle are thawed & then transferred back to the uterus.
Frozen embryo transfer is a type of IVF treatment that typically used extra embryos a couple has from their previous conventional IVF cycle. In other words, FET is a procedure that helps to extend your pregnancy potential from one fresh IVF cycle. And a frozen embryo could also be a donor embryo.
The chance of having embryos available to cryopreserve greatly depends on your age. For instance, over 60% of cycles in which the woman was 35-years old or younger has embryos to freeze, while less than 20% of women at and over their 40s have blastocyst-stage embryos available to freeze.
When can you do a FET cycle?
Frozen embryos will remain viable for over ten years or more after their initial freeze. You may prefer to do a FET cycle following an unsuccessful fresh/stimulated IVF cycle, as your initial transfer after cryopreserving all of your embryos, or else you are returning to it after a successful IVF and ready to expand your family.
Why Choose FET?
If you have specific health conditions or circumstances, you may want to consider frozen embryo transfer to help you get pregnant. Here are some circumstances and conditions where FET can be opted for:
- When one has Extra Embryos
One or multiple embryos can result from a fresh IVF cycle, but it is only viable to trand=fer one or two at a time. You may have frozen embryos after a fresh/stimulated IVF fails.
Transferring multiple embryos can increase the risk of multiple pregnancies. To reduce such risk, your fertility doctor may recommend an eSET-elective single embryo transfer if you have a good prognosis.
- When you want another child
If you decide to have another child through IVF and your fresh embryo transfer was successful in your prior pregnancy, you may still have your embryos in cryopreservation. Here you could also choose to go for another fresh IVF cycle and not use your frozen embryos, though this is a more expensive option both physically and financially.
- When you are using Genetic screening
FET is often part of PGT-Pre Implantation Genetic Testing. PGD & PGT are assisted reproductive technologies that assist in screening embryos for specific genetic defects and diseases. All embryos that are biopsied will be frozen and used for later.
- When you choose an elective procedure
You may also choose elective FET with or without genetic screening. With the freeze-all protocol, the fresh embryo transfer is not part of the plan.
- When you are at high risk of OHSS
OHSS-Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome is a risk of fertility drugs that could lead to loss of fertility in severe/rare cases. If the patient’s risk of OHSS appears to be high, then fresh embryo transfer might be canceled. If this happens, all the embryos will be cryopreserved.
- When your fresh embryo transfer is canceled
Owing to various reasons where you may not be able to have a transfer if you get the flu or other illness.
- You are using a donor embryo
Some couples donate their unused embryos to other infertile couples to give them the chance to embrace parenthood. If you decide to use a donor embryo, then your cycle will be a frozen embryo transfer.
What are the Success rates for FETs?
The success rates of a frozen embryo cycle are at least comparable to fresh IVF cycles. And FETs often result in a higher success rate because of the opportunity to optimize the uterine lining before implantation.
Both fresh & frozen cycles have the same primacy indicators for success like the maternal age of the patient and the time of embryo freezing, transfer.
Women of 35 years & younger have over a 60% chance of successful conception per transfer. And this rate declines as the age at the time of embryo freeze increases.
What are the Benefits of FET over a fresh IVF cycle?
Less medication—instead of stimulation medication, estrogen & progesterone are given to patients to thicken the uterine lining in preparation for the transfer which allows easy & successful implantation.
Less stress—frozen cycles are often less stressful compared to fresh ones because factors cuh as stimulation response, egg development & embryo growth are considered during a fresh IVF cycle. While in FET, high-quality blastocyst-stage embryos are used, giving patients a very significant chance of success.
Costs low compared to the fresh/stimulated IVF cycle.
Hopefully, this has assisted in understanding the frozen embryo transfer process better, and here at MotherToBe fertility center in Hyderabad answer any fertility questions or queries regarding the embryo transfer process you may have. Whether you are planning to consider IVF or freeze your eggs or embryos we help you and we look forward to helping you on your parenthood journey.
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