Embryo Freezing Process
The embryo freezing process is also known as “Embryo Cryopreservation”. In other words, this is a process where the couples decide the unused embryos are feezed and stored for future use in IVF treatments; this is one of the well-developed methods for keeping the unused embryos.
At IVF Turkey, we advise our patients to freeze extra embryos following the fertilization process as they may want to use it for another IVF cycle.
Freezing the remaining healthy embryos has important material and psychological benefits for patients. The process of freezing embryos can also be regarded as a factor that increases the positive result during fertilization.
The reasons of Embryo Freezing at a glance
There are various reasons for embryo freezing; the most common reasons can be described as below:
- Having a medical treatment such as radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and any
other medical treatments, - Signs of early menopause,
- Some women would like to preserve their current fertility status; simply, they
may feel that it is not the right time yet to have a baby, or it can be related to work commitments and many other reasons that may vary from one individual to another.
What is the Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)?
Following an in vitro fertilization procedure (IVF) and ovarian puncture, there are situations where we can obtain many eggs for further fertilization. If embryos are left more than necessary for transfer in a certain cycle, if our patients would like to freeze the embryos, then at IVF Turkey, we can save them by vitrification method, which is known as the method of rapid freezing.
What is the FrHow to describe the Vitrification Method?
We can describe this process where our experts rapidly freeze the cryoprotected embryos, that the water molecules won’t have time to form ice crystals.
What will happen if couples decided to use the frozen embryos?
At IVF Turkey, we have many patients who come for another IVF Cycle for their second child following their successful first-time round IVF treatment. If this is the situation, the embryos are thawed and transferred into the uterine cavity using a thin catheter and under ultrasound control. This procedure is entirely painless and occurs without the use of anesthesia. Sometimes, before the embryo is transferred to the uterine cavity, the preparation of the endometrium (uterine mucosa) with hormonal preparations and always is necessary. Also, during the transfer of embryos, ultrasound control is necessary, but, unlike the fresh IVF cycle, repeated stimulation and ovarian puncture are not needed.
If spare embryos are good in shape and minister of blastomeres is appropriate, it means that they are worth freezing.
Is it safe to freeze embryos?
As it is a new procedure, and we need more research to see if there are any long-term health effects, no one can confirm that it is 100% safe. However, today many different resources indicate that the embryo freezing process has no negative impact, and please note that since the birth of Zoe in 1984 in Australia, hundreds of thousands of children have been born from frozen embryos around the world. One of the most asked questions that we receive from our patients who would like to freeze their embryos is, would the length of time the embryo was stored can affect IVF success rates? The answer is no; with today's advanced technology and the excellent facilities that we have, we can confirm that there is no difference in pregnancy rates between the frozen embryo and fresh embryo. If you have any questions about embryo freezing, you can contact the IVF Turkey team anytime; we are more than happy to answer any of your questions about this process.
