During IVF cycles, many eggs mature. After their fertilization, a large number of embryos are obtained. Since no more than two embryos are transferred into the uterine cavity, many patients have “extra” ones after the transfer, which can be cryopreserved (frozen) and stored for a long time in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 C. Later, they can be defrosted and used for the same patient if pregnancy does not occur in the current IVF cycle, or if after the birth of the child the patient wants to have more children.
Vitrification allows to significantly increase the chances of pregnancy after IVF and prevent the death of viable embryos remaining after the IVF cycle. This is the most important advantage of cryopreservation.
Freezing of all embryos for future transfer into the uterine cavity may be recommended to women with an increased risk of developing severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome after superovulation induction in an IVF cycle, as well as to patients before radiotherapy or chemotherapy for the treatment of oncological diseases. Embryo vitrification is indicated in all cases when the probability of embryo implantation in the uterine cavity is reduced, for example, in the presence of an endometrial polyp, insufficient endometrial thickness at the time of transfer and dysfunctional bleeding. In case of difficulties during embryo transfer in an IVF cycle due to the impossibility of passing a catheter through a narrowed cervical canal into the uterine cavity (cervical stenosis).
Freezing can be included in the egg donation cycle if for some reason it is difficult to synchronize the menstrual cycles of the donor and recipient. A cryopreserved (defrosted) embryo can be transferred to the patient’s uterine cavity without repeated stimulation of superovulation and ovarian puncture.
The chance of pregnancy after transferring thawed embryos is higher than after transferring fresh ones, so we strongly advise patients, especially those who have “extra” embryos, to cryopreserve them using the rapid freezing method (vitrification). About 50% of patients after IVF may have additional embryos for cryopreservation. A cycle of freezing and transferring thawed embryos is significantly cheaper than a new IVF cycle, and having frozen embryos is a kind of “insurance” for patients in case pregnancy does not occur.
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