Advancement of embryo culture media has increased the success rate of IVF Treatment and ICSI treatment by blastocyst transfer. A blastocyst is an embryo that has been developed in the laboratory for five or six days after insemination. It has elevated the pregnancy rate compared to conventional IVF which involves transferring embryos to the womb two to three days after egg collection and insemination.
Blastocyst culture and transfer has maximized pregnancy rate and minimized chances of multiple pregnancies in IVF (in vitro fertilization). To let embryos grow for five or six days to the blastocyst stage of development in the laboratory helps in selecting the best embryos for implantation as it elevates their potential for implantation.
An embryo that has developed for five to seven days after fertilization is called blastocyst. It has 2 distinct cell types and a central cavity filled with fluid. The surface cells that surround the cavity later develops to the placenta. The inner cell mass develops into the fetus. Under standard IVF culture conditions after 5 days of culture only up to 60% of human embryos progress to the blastocyst stage. We specialize in blastocyst transfer.
ADVANTAGES OF BLASTOCYST TRANSFER FOR IVF
- A large proportion of embryos developed in the lab may have some abnormality or genetic defect. Only those embryos develop into a blastocyst, which has higher chances of pregnancy. Thus blastocyst transfer offers good quality embryos for implantation. In the case of large numbers of good quality embryos at the blastocyst stage, excess embryos can be frozen.
- Through blastocyst, transfer embryos are transferred to the right place at the right time
- With patients having a history of a recurrent failure of implantation, extended culture and also offer good quality embryo having better chances of implantation.
- Patients having history previous history of multiple pregnancies, uterine anomaly, etc. or on preference go for single embryo transfer gets more benefitted with blastocyst transfer.
- Some patients have large numbers of frozen embryos from previous cycles. Then blastocyst transfer is the best way to decide on two best embryos to be transferred to the uterus.
- The main benefit of the blastocyst transfer is that it enables the doctor to differentiate between different embryos in terms of their quality and implantation potential.
- Embryos transferred at the blastocyst stage increases the chance of implanting.
- It also helps in avoiding multiple pregnancies as only two best embryos are transferred to the uterus.
DISADVANTAGES OF BLASTOCYST TRANSFER
At a proficient blastocyst culture clinic, which exercises excellent quality control, there is no disadvantage. But in a suboptimal lab environment, there are chances of delayed embryo development, embryonic arrest or lack of good result even after extended culture.
WHO SHOULD GO FOR BLASTOCYST TRANSFER?
Blastocyst transfer is not for everyone. The decision of blastocyst transfer is made on the basis of the number and the quality of embryos developed in three days after the collection of the egg. If there is a lack of two embryos for embryo transfer, then the doctor waits till 5th or 6th day. Then the embryo is transferred to the uterus.
HOW MANY BLASTOCYST TRANSFERS IS IDEAL?
We prefer to transfer the only total of two Blastocysts and chances of pregnancy is quite high after blastocyst transfer. More blastocyst transfer may result in multiple pregnancies.