A family expansion plan works differently for different couples. Some of them succeed in it as they plan their parenthood journey while some have no success in their plans through their efforts for more than 6 to 12 months. If you are among the couples with no success, you should visit the best IVF center in Mangalore or your city to see a fertility expert. After interacting with you and going through some screening and test results, the doctor can advise IVF treatment to you.
Embryo transfer is almost the last stage of the IVF treatment. However, it is the critical part and determines the success or failure of an IVF cycle. Experts are very careful in the process to make it successful.
Embryo transfer process
Embryo transfer is fresh embryo transfer if experts perform it in the same cycle of the egg retrieval. And it is frozen embryo transfer if it is done with frozen embryos. Both types of embryo transfer are good as results depend upon the reproductive and overall health status of a patient. Here have a look at the complete procedure:
- Experts perform it in an operative room as it is a sterile process.
- Patients might need to go through a dummy process before the actual embryo transfer.
- In general, the use of anaesthesia is not essential. However, experts administer it if a patient has a history of complex embryo transfer or is anxious.
- A patient can have a light breakfast. However, she needs to avoid it if doctors suggest anaesthesia administration.
- On the day of actual transfer, the doctors inform about embryo quality and fertilisation rate. And they counsel on the required number of embryos to be transferred.
- Doctors decide the number of embryos for transfer by keeping the patient age, previous IVF results, and embryo quality in mind.
- Doctors request embryologists to participate in making a decision on the number of embryos for transfer.
- For the visualisation of the uterus transabdominally, a full bladder is required.
- An embryologist or a clinician performs an ID check before starting the process.
- Experts check comments on mock embryo transfer and review the patient’s medical file of ultrasound pictures of the uterus.
- Doctors ask the patient to lie down on the operation theatre table with folded legs.
- Embryologists perform the transabdominal scan to view the cervix, uterus, and endometrial lining.
- After covering the legs with the OT cloth, nurses clean the private part.
- There is a visualisation of the uterus mouth or cervix.
- By dipping in culture media and saline, experts wipe the cervix.
- There is no recommendation of vaginal antiseptics at embryo transfer time.
- Experts use an afterload technique for embryo transfer in which they insert an outer catheter into the uterus and load the inner catheter with embryos.
- The experts press the outer catheter via the cervix until the inner catheter goes inside the uterus as per the ultrasound guidance.
- Before pressing the outer catheter, the experts thread the inner catheter into the outer one.
- There is a slow ejection of embryos. And after 10 seconds, the experts remove both catheters out gently and hand the same to the embryologists to find the remaining embryos.
- The experts load the retained embryos and transfer the same.
- There is minimal outcome of the transfer of the retained embryos.
- After completion of embryo transfer, the patient is kept in supine position for twenty to thirty minutes.
What to do after embryo transfer
Your doctor will advise you what you should do and what you should not do after embryo transfer. Here are some suggestions for you:
- Take a rest for a whole week, but avoid having a complete bed rest
- Say No to long distance travel
- Avoid having physical intimacy
- Take the prescribed medicines
How to optimise an embryo transfer
- Experts should make effort to avoid difficulties during transfers
- The use of ultrasound guidance makes the process easier and brings better outcomes
- There should be a focus on the use of the soft catheters
- Value trial transfers to make preparation better for the actual embryo transfers
- Remove the cervical mucus to avoid having mucus plugging of the catheter and bacterial contamination
- Deposit embryos in the mid-uterus position
- Minimize the negative pressure during the catheter withdrawal
- Perform the entire process in the minimum time
Final words
Embryo transfer is a crucial step/procedure of IVF treatment. Experts should perform it well and advise patients on what they should do during and after the process. Further, the experts should know how to carry out the process and optimize it for better results.
