Frozen Embryo Transfers can help patients in Austin, San Antonio and Houston with extra Embryos from Fresh IVF Cycles
Extra embryos that were achieved through in vitro
fertilization, but not selected for fresh
intrauterine embryo transfer, can be cryopreserved
for future use. These embryos can be replaced after
a spontaneous ovulation with appropriate timing in a
natural cycle, or they can be transferred at the
appropriate time during an artificial cycle.
At the
Texas Fertility Center, we most commonly use
artificial cycles for FET due to the significant
scheduling advantages that this offers our
patients. Artificial cycle monitoring involves the
administration of estrogen for approximately two
weeks in order to allow your uterine lining to
develop. Once the uterine lining is at least 7 mm
thick, a serum progesterone level is obtained to
ensure that spontaneous ovulation has not occurred.
At this point, progesterone administration is begun
concurrent with estrogen stimulation. At a time by
the cell stage at which the embryos were frozen, the
embryos are thawed and transferred into the uterus.
The
success rate following this procedure ranges from 20
to 30% and depends on the number and quality of
embryos that are transferred. The main advantage of
frozen embryo transfer is that no ovulation
induction medications are used, and there is no need
for another oocyte retrieval, along with the
associated costs inherent in an IVF cycle. Multiple
large studies have demonstrated that there is no
increased risk of congenital abnormalities in
infants born following the transfer of cryopreserved
embryos.
