Frozen Embryo Transfer

1. Improved Cryopreservation techniques may have reduced embryo cryodamage and therefore increased success rates and confidence in cryopreservation and FET. This might encourage more frequent freezing of entire cohorts rather than freezing “ Second-best” embryos after morphologically best embryos are transferred in fresh cycles.
2. Entire cohort banking is also increasingly  routine after the use of a GnRH  agonist “ trigger” to prevent ovarian hyperstimilation syndrome(OHSS) in high responders.
3. The increased use of genetic  screening also increased the use of cryopreservation, because embryos are often frozen while awaiting test results, and transfer of normal (euploid)embryos may contribute to increasing FET success rates.
4. Lastly the steady increase in single embryo transfer policy should have left more embryos for cryopreservation and FET.
   
   

Why Fresh Transfers Gives Lower Pregnancy Rate:

Super ovulation with gonadotropins (hormones)  is an integral part of the IVF process, because controlled ovarian hyperstimulation allows  the retrieval of multiple oocytes for fertilization and embryo development. However superovulation results in high levels of hormones such as Estrogen(E2), Progesterone (P) and  vascular endothelial  growth factors(VEGF), both during oocyte development and after embryo transfer. High levels of E2, P and VEGF leads to potential changes in the oocyte, endometrium and implanting embryo. These changes  decreased the  implantation rate.

Fresh transfers also have  adverse  perinatal outcomes such as:

1. Foetal Growth Retardation
2. Low Birth  Weight
3. Preterm Delivery
4. Pre-eclampsia Risks
   
   

Benefits  Of Frozen Embryo Transfer ( FET)

1. The risk of OHSS is virtually eliminated with the use of a GnRH  agonist “trigger” for  final maturation but the use of agonist trigger is associated with abrupt termination of the  leuteal  phase with complete and irreversible  luteolysis and reduced Live Birth Rates. Therefore, cohort cryopreservstion is often used after agonist trigger to improve  the chances of live birth.
2. Ectopic pregnancy risk is greater in IVF pregnancies (4-5%) than in natural pregnancies(2%).This is due to effect of increased level of E2 hormone on uterial contractions or increased  P on tubal cilia. FET has reduced risk of ectopic pregnancy to natural level (2%).
3. When compared  with fresh transfers , FET pregnancies  are   associated  with significantly reduced risk of preterm birth, SGA, Perinatal  mortality, placental abruption and placenta previa.
4. Fresh transfers with ICSI has increased  risk for birth defects when compared with FET. FET also has an embryo- screening effect through cryo- survival.
5. There is growing body of evidence to support transferring embryos(ET) in a more  physiologic rather than hyperstimulated environment.
   
   

FET has some  downsides also such as:

1. Increased Longer Cost
2. Longer Time and inconvenience
3. Increased incidence of large for gestational age
4. Placenta accrete
5. Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
   
   

Still  fresh  transfer  cycles  are  gradually  eliminating and IVF practice is shifting to “ ALL FREEZE CYCLES”

At  IHR all our Fresh IVF cycles are turned to FREEZE  ALL  CYCLES