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Embryo transfer is most often done on an outpatient basis. No anesthesia is used, although some women may wish to have a mild sedative. The patient lies on a table or bed, usually with her feet in stirrups. Using a vaginal speculum, the doctor exposes the cervix. One or more embryos suspended in a drop of culture medium are drawn into a transfer catheter, a long, thin sterile tube with a syringe on one end.
Gently, the doctor guides the tip of the loaded catheter through the cervix and deposits the fluid containing the embryos into the uterine cavity. The procedure should be done with great care and usually takes between 10 and 20 minutes. Some doctors perform the transfer under ultrasound guidance to ensure proper placement of the embryos in the uterine cavity. Most doctors advise a few hours of bed rest after the transfer.
Fig 7. Schematic of the embryo transfer procedure
Most clinics today transfer 2-3 good quality embryos on Day 2 or Day 3. Embryos are graded according to their appearance and rate of cell division and good quality embryos are those that have 4-8 cells, of equal size, with clear cytoplasm, and with few fragments. You should ask the doctor to show you your embryos under the microscope. Sometimes, only embryos of poor quality are available for transfer. While the chance of getting pregnant when only poor quality embryos are transferred is low, you can be reassured that if a pregnancy results, the child will be normal!
© Dr. Aniruddha Malpani and Dr. Anjali Malpani www.drmalpani.com
Credits: How to Have a Baby: Overcoming Infertility
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