Embryo Freezing

Embryo Freezing – Save a child for the future.

During a typical IVF or ICSI cycle, many eggs are retrieved from women’s ovaries. Many sperms are retrieved from the male body as well, and after the fertilization process, there are several embryo formations during IVF treatment. The doctors choose the best embryo and transfer it to the uterus of the female. But even after the transfer, sometimes the remaining embryos are healthy and can be used for subsequent cycles. These remaining embryos are preserved through freezing techniques for future use.

With medical science growth, new techniques are emerging at a constant rate and making our life more comfortable. Embryo freezing is an excellent way to preserve your ability to conceive in the future. There are mainly two methods to preserve embryo – the traditional slow rate method and vitrification.

Process Of Embryo Freezing

All the best IVF clinics in India use vitrification to preserve sperm, egg, and embryo that remain after treatments. A high concentration cryoprotectant is used to solidify the cell in the vitrification process. These embryos are secure for future use. Liquid nitrogen is used to solidify the embryo instantly at – 196°C. The complete procedure is carried out in laboratories by experts, and the frozen embryo is stored safely in liquid nitrogen to prevent damage.

Benefits of embryo freezing

This method can help prevent you from undergoing the complete retrieval process in future cycles if you have healthy embryos in the first cycle. Sometimes, there are enough healthy embryos for more than one cycle, which saves you from going through the complete complex process the next time you want to conceive.

Use of frozen embryo

The IVF procedure using a frozen embryo is similar to the process of using a fresh embryo. Either the natural cycles of women are monitored using ultrasound or some medications are given to prepare the uterus line for embryo transfer. The medical history and other things will be kept in mind while choosing any of the processes. The frozen embryo is brought to the original state by reversing the vitrification process, and then it is transferred to the uterus at a suitable time.

Success rate

The success rate of embryo freezing depends on the chances of survival of a frozen embryo. According to records, 70% of frozen embryos survive, and after that, the treatment is most successful if the embryo is in good condition. However, the embryos with the best quality are always used in the first cycle. Only the slightly less good embryos are frozen; therefore, the chances of successful conception is somewhat less than the first cycle. But if the embryo is of good quality and survives the freezing process, the chances of conception are nearly equal to simple IVF treatment.

Who should go for embryo freezing?

• Some couples want to have another baby in the future, and if any healthy embryo still exists after the transfer, fertility specialist stores that.
• In some cases, embryo transfer can be postponed due to reasons like severe OHSS or poor endometrium.
• If the woman is going for any complex medical treatment and she wants to save her reproductive potential, embryo freezing is helpful