(Fort Worth Fertility)
(Fertility)
(Fort Worth)
(817-348-8145)
When more eggs are retrieved than needed, we can freeze them for future use (cryopreservation). Embryos can be frozen at any stage between day one and day six after egg retrieval and can be stored for years. We cryopreserve on day five or six (blastocyst). Dr Kaufmann has published articles on his experience with blastocyst freezing (refer to his CV). We offer frozen embryo transfer to allow you the chance of conception when the time is right for you.
The frozen embryo transfer process is less invasive than standard egg collection. The embryo transfer is performed during a medically controlled cycle. The embryos are placed into your uterus at the correrct when the thickness of the endometrium (lining of your uterus) is right.
Before the frozen embryo transfer can be performed, your embryos will need to be thawed so the age of the embryos corresponds to the age of your uterine lining. The timing of frozen embryo transfer usually depends on the stage at which the embryos were frozen.
Not all embryos survive the cryopreservation process. Before the frozen embryo transfer, we will evaluate your embryos to make sure they are ready for transfer. If they are, then the frozen embryo transfer can go forward.
During the procedure a catheter is inserted through the cervix and the embryos are placed into the uterus. The frozen embryo transfer usually takes about 15 minutes.
The success rate of frozen embryo transfer is almost as successful as standard IVF. Success depends on several factors, including the number and quality of embryos, your age, and the cause of infertility. An IVF cycle can give you a very high cumulative pregnancy rate if a fresh and frozen cycle are combined. The cost is much less then a fresh embryo transfer.
The aim of cryopreservation is to preserve fertilized dividing embryos or unfertilized eggs (oocytes) for use in the future. This helpful in many ways. For those whose initial attempt was not successful or resulted in a pregnancy loss they can immediately proceed with a frozen embryo transfer. There are those who conceive with a fresh cycle and return years later to attempt another pregnancy with their frozen embryos. Others who have not been successful in their fresh IVF cycle can try to conceive through a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle. This allows for a second or third attempt at conception without exposure to fertility drugs and the high cost of a fresh IVF cycle . We will soon also be able to freeze a patient’s eggs for future use when someone is diagnosed with cancer and treatment (cancer treatment with chemotherapy or radiation) that might affect future fertility
Not all embryos or eggs are eligible for cryopreservation. Embryos that are not candidates for cryopreservation include those that divide slowly or are irregular in any other way. Egg freezing may not be possible if the quality of the eggs give us indications that they may not survive the freeze/ thaw and the subsequent fertilization process.