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Blastocyst Transfer One of the most promising new techniques for improving IVF success rates is the blastocyst transfer. A blastocyst is a many-celled embryo in the stage just prior to hatching, approximately five days after fertilization. These blastocyst embryos have a much greater likelihood of implanting in the uterus. Improvements in our culture medium have given us the ability to allow embryos to metabolize more efficiently, and therefore we can maintain them outside of the human body for longer periods of time. |
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FIRST IVF is pleased to offer this new and promising technique to our patients. |
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A blastocyst transfer has many benefits. First, by observing embryos on day five we are better able to identify their quality and predict which will be the better candidates for successful implantation. Further, the embryos are arriving in the uterus at the same time as in natural conception. At day five an embryo is just entering the uterus from the fallopian tubes. The uterus is a more hospitable place to the five-day embryo as opposed to a two or three day embryo. Because we have the ability to improve implantation rates we can return fewer embryos (2-3 instead of 4-6) and thus avoid the problem of higher-order (triplets or greater) multiple pregnancies. Finally, preliminary evidence is showing that the longer you can keep embryos out of the uterus the more likely it is that they will not be expelled. Studies are showing that blood loss from the egg retrieval process causes uterine contractions in some women. If the uterus contracts too many times in rapid succession the embryos will be expelled. By waiting five days to return the embryos to the uterus the body has a chance to reabsorb this blood and the contractions are greatly diminished.