Embryo Transfer

Embryo transfer guide

What is an embryo transfer?
When does an embryo transfer occur during IVF?
Who should consider a blastocyst embryo transfer?
Reasons for higher success rates
Risks of an embryo transfer

What is an embryo transfer?

An embryo transfer refers to the part of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process in which a doctor – utilizing ultrasound equipment and a catheter  – places an embryo or embryos into a woman’s uterus. The embryo transfer process only takes a few minutes and involves a short recovery time.

For a successful pregnancy and healthy baby, the embryo(s) must implant on the uterine wall. The term “blastocyst transfer” refers to performing this procedure at a specific time in the embryo’s development (around five days), which has been shown to have higher rates of implementation.

Additionally, the specific number of embryos transferred also has an effect on the chances of a healthy pregnancy. An elective single embryo transfer (eSET) is often recommended to reduce the risk of a multiple pregnancy (twins or more), due to increased health risks to the mother and child.

Unused embryos may be frozen and implanted at a later date.

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When does an embryo transfer occur during IVF?

Embryos develop through multiple stages, often described by the number of days since the eggs were retrieved from the woman’s ovaries.

The question of when an embryo is transferred into a women’s uterus is important to the infertile couple’s IVF outcome. Historically, embryo transfer (ET) was performed on day two or three after fertilization.

However, abundant evidence shows that transferring embryos at the blastocyst stage (the point in development just prior to hatching and implantation) into the uterus results in higher implantation rates per embryo. The blastocyst stage occurs around five days after fertilization.

Reasons for higher success rates

Transferring embryos to the uterus five days post-fertilization results in a uterine environment for the embryo that more closely resembles a healthy natural conception.

It is also easier for embryologists to choose healthier embryos for transfer when they are further along in development.

In effect, blastocyst transfer allows for the transfer of fewer embryos with a higher potential for implantation. This is an especially important point for infertility patients who want to take every possible step toward having a single healthy baby rather than a multiple pregnancy, which can cause serious complications and health risks to both mother and child.

Patients who are also using preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) will be using blastocyst transfer. Embryos that are biopsied in the PGT process are grown to the blastocyst stage before the biopsy.

Fresh vs. frozen embryo transfers

Embryos resulting from IVF treatment are either transferred “fresh” or “frozen.”

A fresh transfer cycle refers to eggs that are removed, fertilized and cultured for several days in the lab and transferred into the uterus during one menstrual cycle.

A frozen embryo transfer cycle refers to quality embryos resulting from a previous egg retrieval cycle which are frozen for later use. These embryos can be thawed and used during the following menstrual cycle or years in the future.

Embryo transfer risks

There is a risk that none of the embryos will develop to blastocyst stage. On average, about half of fertilized eggs achieve the blastocyst stage. When there are no viable embryos to transfer, the distressing news might be tempered with the knowledge that the non-developing embryos would likely not have resulted in pregnancy if they had been transferred earlier.