Treatment - Frozen Embryo Transfer
In an IVF cycle, there are very often surplus embryos created. Only one or two embryos are put into the uterus at the time of the IVF cycle and one of the good things about this treatment is that the excess embryos can be frozen for future use. The embryos are stored in liquid nitrogen in our laboratory and can be kept safe for many years, until required by the couple. If an initial fresh embryo transfer was unsuccessful, or if a couple has had a child and wants to have another pregnancy, they can use their stored frozen embryos.
In Australia, women commonly have either a natural cycle or programmed frozen embryo transfer. For women who are ovulating regularly, we can follow their natural cycle by using transvaginal scans, urine ovulation tests or blood tests. This confirms the day of ovulation. The embryos are then transferred into the uterus two or three days later, depending on how many days old they were when they were frozen. The success rate for frozen embryos are sligtly less than for fresh embyos, but still give an excellent chance of a pregnancy. We have several families now where a baby was born after a first IVF cycle and a second pregnancy arises from the same batch of embryos that produced the first baby.
In a programmed frozen embryo cycle, natural ovulation is inhibited by using Estrogen tablets, which also thickens the uterus lining. Close to the time of the embryo transfer, usually after
about two weeks on Estrogen tablets, the woman starts using Progesterone pessaries to prepare the uterus lining for implantation. The embryo or embryos are inserted into the uterus on the fourth
or fifth day or progesterone treatment. If the pregnancy test is positive, these same medications are continued into the early weeks of the pregnancy.
Above: Embryo transfer procedure Above: Embryos under the microscope day 2 / day 3
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