Transfer of frozen or vitrified embryos

The transfer is carried out in the operating theatre under the guidance of an abdominal ultrasound in order to deposit the embryos into the centre of the uterine cavity, to obtain the best pregnancy rate.

Embryos generated by an IVF cycle are maintained in culture for two or three days until the time of transfer. Embryos that best meet the quality criteria are selected for transfer.

Current Spanish law allows the transfer of a maximum of 3 embryos. However, to reduce the chances of multiple pregnancies, the most usual is to transfer two embryos. The decision on the number of embryos to transfer should be personalised for each couple and the factors to consider are the age of the woman, the quality of embryos and previous reproductive history, if any.

The procedure is the same as a gynaecological check-up, and may be slightly uncomfortable but it is not usually painful. However, in some cases, if passing through the cervix is expected to be difficult, the transfer may be performed under anaesthetic.

In addition to taking the medication prescribed by your doctor, two days rest is usually recommended, while avoiding physical exertion until you find out the results of your pregnancy test.

The future of the embryos that are not transferred depends on their quality. Embryos that meet certain quality minimums are vitrified, while poor quality surplus embryos are discarded.