Table of contents
On what day is the embryo transfer performed with the highest efficiency?
In our clinic, embryo transfer into the uterine cavity is carried out only at the blastocyst stage, which corresponds to the 5-6th day of embryo development.
At the blastocyst stage, the embryo consists of a large number of cells (156-200 cells), which allows for a more accurate assessment of its quality based on morphological features (visually).
Numerous studies prove that blastocyst transfer is more effective in terms of pregnancy compared to transfers in the early stages. In addition, not all embryos are able to develop into a blastocyst, some stop developing before the 5th day due to genetic disorders (therefore, the transfer of the embryo before the 5th day can give a futile expectation, since about 50% of fertilized eggs stop developing precisely before the 5th day). Thus, the transfer of blastocysts allows you to achieve pregnancy in a shorter time and with the highest efficiency.
Is there a risk of miscarriage after IVF?
In vitro fertilization itself does not increase the risk of miscarriage. Unfortunately, there is, as with pregnancy that occurred naturally.
Risks are associated with reproductive health disorders that interfered with independent pregnancy.
These can be:
- late reproductive age
- autoimmune diseases (APS)
- genetic disorders of the embryo, in the absence of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)
- accompanying somatic diseases, STDs
- large uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis and/or short cervix, as a result of previous surgeries
- endocrine diseases (in the absence of medical support)
- violation of the blood coagulation system To minimize the risks, a qualitative examination is carried out before entering the IVF program, as well as careful observation after the transfer of embryos, including hormonal support. Another risk factor is multiple pregnancy.
At the beginning of the development of reproductive medicine, to increase the chances of pregnancy, a patient could have 2 or more embryos transferred.
However, now most reproductive specialists strive for the transfer of one high-quality embryo, so that the pregnancy will pass and end safely – with the birth of a healthy and full-term baby.
When is IVF with donor embryos indicated?
There are situations in which it is impossible to use the germ cells of patients. Then doctors recommend resorting to donor material: sperm, eggs or embryos.
Indications:
- Absence of partners of their reproductive cells
- High risk of transmission of hereditary diseases
- Repeated receipt of low-quality embryos, the transfer of which does not lead to pregnancy and embryo development.
Can abnormalities occur if frozen on day 6?
The priority is to obtain blastocysts suitable for freezing, the day of freezing is less important than the quality. For example, a day 5 embryo might not be frozen because it was still in the early blastocyst stage on day 5, but it could have developed into a high-quality expanded blastocyst a few hours before the morning of day 6. This is confirmed by the results of the biopsy, which showed that the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities is not related to the day of development.
Why do not all embryos grow to the blastocyst stage?
From the very beginning, we know that all embryos in nature cannot reach the blastocyst stage (the 5-7 day stage of embryo development). The percentage of embryos that will progress to blastocyst formation in the middle cycle is about 50-40%, depending, of course, on the quality of the eggs, the quality of the sperm and, subsequently, the quality of the embryos themselves. Thus, the decrease in the number of embryos, which progresses as development progresses until day 5, is absolutely normal.
Most often, the developmental arrest of embryos before the 5th day is associated with:
- With late female reproductive age (less energy reserve in eggs)
- With chromosomal/genetic disorders in the embryo, which is not compatible with proper development and implantation
- With a reduced quality of sperm, which is manifested in the arrest of the development of the embryo from the third day
- The conditions and quality of the embryological laboratory, equipment and medium for cultivation.
In our clinic, we carry out genetic testing according to indications to identify the reason for stopping the development of embryos up to 5 days. Thus, the genes responsible for the energy reserve in the mitochondria for the correct division of the embryo, its correct formation, development and even implantation are known.
Advantages of the embryoscope device for cultivating embryos?
- It is possible to monitor all stages of embryo development without removing them from the incubators and without changing the cultivation conditions (it protects the embryos from changes in temperature, oxygen and CO2 levels, and makes the pH stable).
- As the entire developmental stages of the embryos can be observed, it allows evaluation of the embryos according to the recorded video images.
- In this way, it is possible to obtain high rates of pregnancy, select an embryo with the highest chances of viability and implantation into the uterine cavity.
- Іt can be applied to every patient, but it allows for a more detailed examination especially of patients with failed IVF attempts in the past.
- Embrioscope assists in selecting embryos with a higher chance of pregnancy for patients with a large number of embryos.
- In addition to providing comparative information on the development of each patient’s embryos, it also provides an opportunity to compare the development of the same patient’s embryos during previous cycles.