Embryo Freezing: Zemya IVF

• Once embryos are safely stored, their biological activities are suspended, and they can remain alive without any deterioration for decades.
• The flash-freezing technique is the only method that completely prevents the formation of ice crystals, and because of this keeps cells safe during freezing and thawing process.
• By freezing extra embryos, couples can have a plan B or even C children without having to go through the egg retrieval process over and over again.
• Besides freezing, the clinic should be informed using well-detailed written agreements how leftover embryos can be dealt with in the future.

Reproductive medicine has seen some great progress through the years, and the choices available today have never been greater when it comes to choosing paths to build one’s own family. The process of embryo freezing, known scientifically as embryo cryopreservation, is a fertility preservation technique. It is certainly one of the great achievements that has come out of this field.

At Zemya IVF & Fertility Clinics, known as the Best IVF Centre in Delhi, we not only have a state-of-the-art laboratory but also focus on patient care with empathy. If you want to get a fertility protocol done or if you are planning fertility preservation for a longer period, then it is a good idea to first know where frozen embryos stand in modern reproductive methods to help you make informed decisions.

What is Embryo Freezing?

Embryo freezing is a unique process that involves preserving embryos through extreme freezing techniques. The embryos are created by bringing together the egg and sperm in a laboratory environment and then freezing them. The freezing process stops all age-related activities. Once an individual or a couple decides to conceive, the freezing process is reversed, and the thawed embryos are transferred into the womb by a fertility specialist.

Why Do People Choose to Freeze Embryos?

Freezing embryos can be an excellent choice for lots of clinical and lifestyle conditions during fertility treatments.

• Additional Embryos Created Once the Entire IVF Cycle Is Completed: Normally, in the course of an IVF cycle, you will be provided by a fertility expert with fertility drugs that will stimulate your ovaries to create many eggs. These are then fertilized using the sperm cells of the donor or partner. Most of the time, this process leads to the generation of more high-quality embryos than can be safely transferred at one time. Any extra embryos can be stored by freezing for later use.
• Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT): If the couple is concerned about specific genetically inherited disorders, by testing the genetic makeup of the cells of the blastocyst, a healthy baby can be chosen. As the process of genetic screening takes time, the embryo should be stored in a frozen state.
• How to Prevent OHSS (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome): Live OVulation can be triggered through the use of hormone drugs in excess. A freeze of embryos works very well in allowing the woman’s body to return to normal after treatment.
• Medical Fertility Preservation: For cancer patients who have to go through a very aggressive medical procedure or chemotherapy, freezing embryos is the way to save their fertility before the treatment.
• Family Planning Through Strategy: There may be instances where a couple mutually decides not to conceive for some time because of personal or professional considerations. They can store the embryos that are in their prime stage for later use.

The Embryo Freezing Process: Step-by-Step

The cryopreservation procedure performed for the embryos entails a sequence of activities that must be carried out in a coordinated manner by lab experts.

1.Ovarian Stimulation and Follicle Tracking

This involves customized administration of hormones to stimulate the ovaries. This shall be done under close monitoring by means of regular blood tests and ultrasound examinations to track the follicles.

2. Egg Retrieval and Embryo Creation

After reaching maturity, multiple eggs are retrieved through an outpatient procedure under sedation. In the laboratory, the eggs are fertilized by the use of the partner’s or donor’s sperm.

3. Embryo Culture to Blastocyst Stage

The fertilized embryos created are thoroughly cultured in tailored incubators. An embryo begins as a single cell, but it divides rapidly. The lab staff keep track of the development until they make it to the blastocyst stage (usually on day 5 or 6), since blastocyst stage embryos have higher post-thaw survival and implantation rates.

4. Ultra-Rapid Vitrification

Slow freezing, a slower process, was the choice of labs in the past.

In the present day, up-to-date labs work with the improved method of vitrification. This flash-freeze technique comes with an immediate temperature drop, which prevents the formation of ice crystals inside the very fragile embryonic cells. Without ice crystal formation, the character of the cells is kept 100%. Afterwards, the embryos are put into safe storage containers and are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at very low temperatures.

Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)

To begin using your embryos that are being kept in lab containment, you do not have to go through another round of the IVF process. Rather, you would go through a process known as a frozen embryo transfer (FET).

In the process of the frozen embryo transfer, the female is given hormone treatment to stimulate her endometrium. Once her endometrium is at the right size, the freezing and thawing procedure is conducted on the selected embryo. More often than not, the survival rate of the embryos in thawing is at 95%, even more so if the clinic is considered one of the best.

Success Rates and Clinical Safety

There is a lot of research backing the claim that children conceived through frozen-thawed embryos are extremely healthy to the same degree as those conceived through fresh embryos. Actually, with an FET, where the uterus is not exposed to the effects of the stimulating drugs, some clinical profiles even show elevated implantation rates when frozen embryos are used.

In addition, by using only one frozen embryo at a time, there is a reduced incidence of multiple pregnancies, including twins or triplets, which reduces the likelihood of other complications such as premature births. What should be noted is that not all embryos grow evenly, but having multiple embryos from multiple IVF cycles increases the success rate.