If you’d like to learn more about how fresh and/or frozen embryo transfers and IVF may benefit you, schedule an appointment at SIRM Dallas in Dallas, Texas to meet with Dr. Saleh and discuss your options. please visit: https://dallasfertilitycenter.com/fertility-blog/fresh-vs-frozen-embryo-transfer-exploring-the-differences/

1. Fresh vs. Frozen Embryo Transfer:
Exploring the Differences
There are many decisions to make on your journey to becoming a parent. Which
infertility clinic is a good fit? What treatments are you willing to undergo? Is it
better to transfer fresh or frozen embryos for IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)? Luckily,
your treatment team can help guide you to the choices that are right for you, and
Dr. Walid Saleh of SIRM Dallas in Dallas, Texas can give you some insight into the
pros and cons of fresh versus frozen embryo transfer below.
A Fresh Perspective
All embryos start out fresh. In a woman’s initial IVF cycle, she takes medication to
first “quiet” the ovaries followed by medication to stimulate them to produce
extra eggs. After the eggs have been surgically retrieved, they are fertilized. The
resulting embryos grow in a special incubator until they are ready to be
transferred to the uterus. In most cases, one embryo is selected for transfer and
the remaining embryos are frozen. Fresh cycles were, for decades, the gold
standard…until the last few years when rapid advancements in freezing and
cryopreservation methods improved the outcome of frozen embryo transfers.
Back in the Day
First, a little history on frozen embryo transfer (FET). Embryos were initially frozen
slowly which caused intracellular ice to form; unfortunately, the ice often
damaged the embryos. Many damaged embryos didn’t survive, and those that did

2. had very low potential for successful implantation. However, in the last several
years we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the quality of frozen embryos due to the
introduction of vitrification. Vitrification is an ultra-rapid freezing method that
freezes the embryo approximately 60,000 times faster than the older method of
freezing. This process takes ice formation out of the equation, resulting in a
significant increase in viable embryos with successful implantation and pregnancy
potential equal to fresh embryos.
If you think frozen embryo transfers may be right for you, schedule an
appointment at SIRM Dallas in Dallas, Texas to learn more.
Timing is Everything
Another reason we see markedly higher FET success rates now than several years
ago is that the timing of when the embryo is frozen has changed. It’s been shown
that freezing blastocysts (embryo at day 5-6) has a better outcome than freezing
early-cleaved embryos (day 2-3). In many cases embryos that don’t successfully
develop to the expanded blastocyst stage are aneuploid (chromosomally
compromised) and don’t result in healthy babies. An additional benefit of frozen
embryo transfers using expanded blastocysts is that fewer embryos – because
we’re able to determine which are most viable – need to be transferred. This
means we can minimize the chance of a multiple pregnancy, along with the
inherent risks to both mom and baby.
Fresh or Frozen?
At this point, studies show that successful outcomes using frozen embryo
transfers are about equal to those of fresh embryo transfers. The slight edge that
fresh embryo transfer may have is that, typically, the best embryo is selected for
the first transfer. However, there are some key benefits that make FET appealing:
 Because you underwent ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval for your fresh
cycle, you won’t have to go through it again. The medications necessary to
prepare your body for FET have fewer potential side effects and take less of
a toll on your body.
 Many patients report that FET cycles are not nearly as stressful as fresh
cycles since they already know they have viable embryos.
 It’s easier to schedule and plan for FET cycles than fresh cycles.

3. If you’d like to learn more about how fresh and/or frozen embryo transfers and
IVF may benefit you, schedule an appointment at SIRM Dallas in Dallas, Texas to
meet with Dr. Saleh and discuss your options.
Please visit: https://dallasfertilitycenter.com/fertility-blog/fresh-vs-frozen-
embryo-transfer-exploring-the-differences/