Frozen embryo transfer (FET) is one of the greatest advancements in ART and they provide added benefits for fertility patients who undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF). Cryopreservation (Embryo freezing) has existed for many years, but earlier techniques were associated with unwanted hitches. Vitrification, a fast-freeze or flash technology has vastly improved the outcomes from cryopreserved embryos with more and more patients achieving live birth from a single stimulated cycle.
Patients who are choosing FET are experiencing success rates equal to, or better than, those from fresh embryo transfer cycles. Recent studies from British fertility society indicate that frozen embryos can produce healthier babies than from fresh transfer embryos. Yet researchers quite don’t understand the reason for this, but it should be the ‘survival of the fittest’ scenario as the fittest embryos are also the ones most likely to survive the freezing process.
Frozen Advantage
- In recent times, the success with a frozen embryo transfer (FET) has increased significantly making it an increasingly popular option to consider before moving to another fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle.
- Studies from around the world have found that IVF following frozen embryo transfer are more similar to natural conception pregnancies than fresh embryo transfer cycles. Frozen embryo transfers are performed after a significant amount of time a woman’s ovaries were stimulated with medications.
- Pregnancy arising out of FET has lesser complications when compared to a Fresh Embryo Transfer. Especially the risks for antepartum haemorrhage (bleeding during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, sometimes requiring preterm delivery), maternal hypertension, Placenta Praevia (placenta being present riskily low in the womb) and Placental Abruption (critical, sudden separation of the placenta) is much lower with Frozen Embryo Transfer compared to Fresh Transfer.
- Frozen embryos provide patients with additional cycle opportunities. You can increase the chances of pregnancy per egg retrieval with FET— frozen embryos provide the possibility of trying again without having to take ovarian stimulation medication or egg retrieval.
- The 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) annual meeting stated that women of advanced maternal age (35-42 years) had a considerably elevated live birth rate using frozen embryos alongside comprehensive chromosomal screening (CCS) compared to fresh embryos. Women using frozen embryos for transfer had a live birth rate of 75 percent as compared to women using fresh embryos with a live birth rate of 54 percent.
- Frozen embryos allow for genetic testing (preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)) for couples with the risk of passing certain genetic conditions onto their children. FET also allows preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) for abnormalities in chromosome number (such as trisomy 21) which causes Down’s syndrome and many others that are likely to result in miscarriage or implantation failure.
Who can opt for Frozen Embryo Transfers?
This fertility technique is most beneficial to couples coping with infertility, couples above the age of 35 years and single parents. Usually, younger women have higher quality eggs, though of course, this is not true in every case. Those who have a history of recurrent pregnancy failure, early miscarriage or endometriosis may have different success rates to those who have other infertility issues, and this may be down to the quality of the eggs. Nevertheless, egg-freezing specialists state the most excellent time to freeze your eggs is in your late 20s or early 30s, as this gives you the best chances of pregnancy later on.
FET can suspend the proverbial biological clock
Vitrified embryos extend the reproductive potential into the future enabling the patient’s time to make decision to expand their families. A woman may opt for FET for a number of reasons, both medical and social.
Smile Baby IVF center is highly advanced IVF treatments clinic in Bangalore with the endeavour to provide “High Success at Low Cost” fertility treatment. They provide the best IVF treatments in Bangalore. They offer highly sophisticated treatment through state-of-the-art technology with higher success rates and are adept at carrying out frozen embryo transfer in India. The treatments at the Clinic are performed with the utmost care and of highest international quality keeping in mind the ethical codes of conduct.