FET stands for Frozen Egg Transfer. It is a type of IVF treatment.
IVF refers to In Vitro Fertilization. It is a process in which fertilisation of the ovum and the sperm occurs outside the body of the female. By stimulating a woman’s ovulatory process, an ovum is obtained. This ovum is fused with a sperm in a laboratory. After two to three days, the fertilised egg is transferred into the female’s body. Sometimes, in cases like surrogacy, where the mother’s uterus is unfit to carry the baby, the fertilised egg is transferred to a different female’s body. The process of IVF is boon for couple dealing with infertility issues. It is a type of assisted reproductive technology.
During the procedure of FET, a cryopreserved embryo is transferred to the uterus of the woman. Usually, this embryo had been created during one of the earlier IVF cycles of the woman. Sometimes, a donor’s embryo is used. The donor’s embryo is not genetically related to either of the partners. Mainly, FET is preferred when there are surplus or extra embryos left after the IVF cycle. These embryos are then cryopreserved. Sometimes, some doctors suggest on freezing all the embryos and no fresh transfers are attempted.
WHEN CAN YOU OPT FOR FROZEN EMBRYO TRANSFER?
Failure of A Fresh Transfer
During the process of IVF, it is advisable to transfer one or two embryos to the uterus. Implantation of multiple embryos can cause multiple pregnancies: twins, triplets, or quadruplets. Such pregnancies can pose threat to the life of mother and child. So, only the best embryos are transferred and the rest are frozen. However, sometimes these fresh IVF transfers fail, leading to failure in implantation and miscarriage. In such cases, the frozen embryos can be put to use. These frozen embryos are thawed and transferred to the uterus.
Using an Embryo Donor
Many couples donate their unused embryos to fertility clinics or to couples with fertility problems. If one chooses to opt for pregnancy with the help of an embryo donor, the process used is definitely going to be frozen embryo transfer.
Desire for A Second Conception
Sometimes, the process of fresh transfer is successful and so is the pregnancy. After some time, the desire for a second child might arise. In such cases, you might opt for a fresh IVF cycle or decide to go with the earlier cryopreserved eggs. The former one is relatively expensive, though.
Cancellation of Fresh Embryo Transfer
Mainly, there are two reasons for the cancellation of fresh embryo transfer. They are:
1- OHSS
OHSS stands for Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome which is a very fatal medical condition. It is usually caused by fertility drugs. This syndrome can result in permanent loss of fertility or death. The fresh embryo transfer is cancelled and only after a patient completely recovers from OHSS, she can opt for Frozen Embryo Transfer.
2- Other Illness or Issues
A Fresh Embryo Transfer can be cancelled in case of other illnesses such as flu, etc. It can also be cancelled if the doctor notices anything unusual in the ultrasound. After complete recovery, one might opt for Frozen Embryo Transfer.
