IVF
Embryo Transfer: What You Should Know
In vitro fertilization,
another type of assisted reproductive technology contributes to the conception
of about 2% of babies born in the United States each year. These
treatments can be effective even if they are not always effective, and in the
past ten years, their popularity has more than doubled. The transplantation of
the embryo is frequently the last step in assisted reproductive technology
procedures. At this time, the fertilized egg is placed in the uterus, and if
the embryo implants, pregnancy may result. But there have been other steps
before this one. Continue reading to find out when and how an embryo transfer
takes place, what to anticipate during the procedure and the typical success
rate.
An
embryo transfer is what?
In an embryo transfer, a
fertilized egg or embryo is inserted into a woman's uterus. When using assisted
reproductive technology for fertility procedures, such as in-vitro fertilization,
this is often the last step (IVF).
Fresh embryo transfers
and frozen embryo transfers are the two types of embryo transfers. Frozen
embryo transfers use embryos that have been previously frozen and then thawed
before being transferred to the uterus, whereas fresh embryo transfers take
place within three to five days of the egg retrieval (during which mature eggs
are harvested from the ovaries). Frozen embryo transfers can take place as soon
as a month after the embryos were generated and frozen, or they can happen a
year afterward.
What is the purpose of an embryo transfer?
U usually, an embryo transfer is carried out as part of an IVF cycle. IVF may be used for the following purposes
- Due to a reproductive problem
- Due to the need to preserve fertility,
such as when someone freezes eggs before receiving cancer treatment and then
uses those eggs to create embryos later.
- If a person has opted to carry a pregnancy
for another person while acting as their gestational carrier.
What
Happens During an Embryo Transfer?
The IVF procedure's last
step is embryo transfer. After using gonadotropins to activate the ovaries, the
eggs are first harvested. A reproductive endocrinologist or another medical
professional performs egg retrieval by using ultrasonography to guide a needle
through the higher vaginal wall and into the ovary. The eggs are extracted from
the follicles, which are fluid-filled organs in the ovaries where the eggs are
located. After being harvested, the eggs are taken to a facility where an
embryo is produced by fertilizing them with either partner or donor sperm. (If
the patient chooses to freeze her eggs instead, that will happen right away
following the retrieval, before an embryo is produced.) The embryos are then
raised in a lab for around 5 days while they develop.
The patient will then be
informed about the quantity and caliber of the embryos created by the doctor.
Patients who intend to do a fresh transfer frequently get progesterone therapy
both before and after the egg retrieval. Patients who intend to transfer frozen
embryos normally do not take medication following the retrieval and should
anticipate a recovery period of seven to ten days. To help doctors choose which
embryos to transfer, the embryos are rated according to how much they have
grown throughout their days in the lab and how they appear. The embryo transfer
then starts. Around 10 days following the embryo transfer, pregnancy is
typically discovered.
What
Happens During an Embryo Transfer?
Although embryo transfer
is "the most critical stage" in fertility therapy because it might
lead to pregnancy, it is "extremely basic and straightforward" in practice,
according to Mindy Christianson, M.D., medical director of the Johns Hopkins
Fertility Center.
The procedure takes around 15 minutes, during which the patient is usually conscious. The embryo(s) are transferred via a catheter that is inserted through the cervix and into the uterus. The catheter includes the embryo(s) and a little amount of fluid. The embryo is then released. While this is going on, and abdominal ultrasound is being performed to make sure the embryo(s) are placed correctly in the uterus.
Success
Rates for Embryo Transfer
According to. Dr.
Christianson, the success rate for embryo transfers is from 50 to 6 percent.
That success rate, however, can change based on a variety of variables. Dr
Christianson believes that an embryo is successful if it produces a live birth.
According to. Dr.
Christianson, success rates increase with patients’ age at the time the eggs
are produced. So, for example, a chance is higher at age 25 than 40. Success
rates can vary depending on the age of the egg or sperm donor.
The success percentage of embryo transfers can also be influenced by the embryo's genetic or chromosomal normality, which can be verified through earlier testing. In addition, the health of the woman's uterus—that is, if the lining has thickened and there are no abnormalities—can affect how well an embryo transfer goes.
Risks
of Embryo Transfer
Dr Christianson claims
that having many children, such as twins or triplets, is the greatest risk of
embryo transfers. Multiple pregnancies increase the danger of difficulties for
both the pregnant woman and the unborn children; hence this is seen as a risk.
However, the number of
embryos transferred has decreased in recent years, Dr. Christianson, and the
likelihood of conceiving multiples through an embryo transfer has decreased. In
the majority of situations today, an elective single embryo transfer is strongly
advised, especially if the patient is younger. And those who do transfer more
than one embryo are warned about the possibility of multiples.
An embryo transfer also
carries the risk of ectopic pregnancy, in which the embryo implants outside of
the uterus, frequently in the fallopian tube…Dr Christianson notes that even if
the embryo is immediately implanted into the uterus during an embryo transfer,
there is a possibility of migration. Ectopic pregnancies cannot be taken to
term and provide the pregnant individual with a potentially fatal risk.
An embryo transfer's
ultimate risk is failing to conceive as a result of the procedure. Dr
Christianson observes, "This is unfortunate, but it can happen. It's also
not particularly unusual, as even a couple with normal fertility has a 1 in 4
chance of getting pregnant during the first IVF cycle.
How
to Get Ready for a Transfer of Embryos?
According to Dr.
Christianson, you can anticipate having a consent appointment and going over
treatment planning with your fertility expert before the embryo transfer. You
will go through every detail of the embryo transfer procedure and the embryo
you intend to transfer during the planning phase.
Whether it's a fresh
embryo transfer or a frozen embryo transfer, there are different additional
preparations to make. The patient will often take progesterone to sustain
pregnancy when egg retrieval and transfer are performed quickly after one
another.
The uterus must be ready
to receive the embryo if it is being transferred from a frozen embryo in this
case. The doctor will watch the patient see when they ovulate and will time the
embryo transfer for roughly five days following ovulation if it is a natural
cycle frozen embryo transfer (meaning it is done during the woman's normal uterine
cycle rather than through artificial stimulation). Another option is a planned
cycle frozen embryo transfer, in which the patient receives estrogen therapy to
thicken the uterine lining. The physician will next give progesterone to make
the uterus receptive to the embryo once the lining is thick enough, which
normally takes approximately two weeks to happen.
According to Dr.
Christianson, when someone undergoes an embryo transfer, they are probably
doing it as part of a larger fertility treatment plan and have spoken with
their fertility specialist about their expectations for the procedure.
The patient can feel some
cramping, pressure, or nausea following the surgery. You could be instructed to
stay away from strenuous activities like jogging and to postpone having sex
until after you've taken a pregnancy test.