Blastocyst Culture & Transfer
What is a Blastocyst?
Normally, during ovulation, a woman’s egg is transported to the fallopian tube. During coitus, millions of sperm are deposited in the vagina, traveling through the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes toward the egg. When a sperm penetrates and merges with the egg, fertilization occurs, forming an embryo. This embryo progresses through developmental stages, initially as a cleavage stage embryo on days 2 and 3, transforming into a Morula on day 4, and maturing into a Blastocyst by day 5.
As the embryo advances to the Blastocyst stage, it journeys toward the uterus, preparing for the crucial step of implantation in the endometrial lining. To aid this critical phase, Plan B Fertility Center in Kondapur, Hyderabad, led by Dr. Dhatri Kumari, offers specialized services in blastocyst culture procedure, an integral part of the IVF process. This procedure, known as blastocyst culture in IVF, enhances the chances of successful implantation and increases the likelihood of pregnancy for couples in Hyderabad seeking advanced reproductive support.
What is Blastocyst culture and transfer?
In an IVF cycle, fertilisation and embryo culture take place in the lab and the embryos are transferred into the uterine cavity for implantation.
An advanced stage day 5 or 6 embryo is called a Blastocyst. At this stage, the blastocyst has two distinct cell lines, called the Inner Cell Mass (ICM) and the Trophectoderm. The ICM contains cells that eventually give rise to the foetus whereas the trophectoderm will form the key cells of the placenta.
Blastocyst transfer is a strategy in which embryos are cultured to the blastocyst stage before being transferred into the womb.
Blastocyst grading or quality is determined by evaluating the external appearance of the blastocyst by the Embryologist. The best quality blastocyst is then selected for transfer into the uterus.
How is the Blastocyst Transfer Performed?
Embryo transfer – A soft flexible catheter containing the Blastocyst is gently inserted through the cervical canal into the uterine cavity and deposited there under ultrasound guidance. The catheter is then gently removed and the embryologist will check the catheter to ensure that the blastocyst has not been retained in the catheter. Once delivered into the uterine cavity, the blastocyst starts to attach to the uterine lining in a process known as implantation.
This precise method is a hallmark of our sophisticated treatments available in our fertility clinic in Kondapur, Hyderabad, ensuring the highest likelihood of successful implantation.
What are the advantages of Blastocyst transfer?
By allowing embryos to develop into blastocysts, our embryologists at Plan B Fertility Center can better assess their viability, which significantly increases the chances of achieving a pregnancy. This approach also permits the selection of the most promising embryos, reducing the necessity of transferring multiple embryos and thereby lowering the risk of multiple pregnancies – a practice that is particularly valued in our Hyderabad clinic.
What are the disadvantages of Blastocyst transfer?
By allowing embryos to develop into blastocysts, our embryologists at Plan B Fertility Center can better assess their viability, which significantly increases the chances of achieving a pregnancy. This approach also permits the selection of the most promising embryos, reducing the necessity of transferring multiple embryos and thereby lowering the risk of multiple pregnancies – a practice that is particularly valued in our Hyderabad clinic.
What are the Disadvantages of Blastocyst Transfer?
One challenge is that not all embryos will develop into blastocysts, which can reduce the number of embryos available for transfer. However, this is offset by the higher potential quality and implantation rates of those who do reach the blastocyst stage under our expert care in Kondapur.
Is Blastocyst Transfer for Me?
Consider blastocyst-stage culture and transfer if:
- You’ve had good-quality embryos in previous cycles that failed to implant.
- You wish to minimize the risk of multiple pregnancies by transferring a single embryo.
- You have several good-quality embryos on Day 3.
You are exploring the developmental potential of your embryos with PGT in an IVF cycle.
FAQs
The blastocyst culture transfer benefits include a higher likelihood of implantation due to selecting the most viable embryos for transfer. This advanced stage of development allows Embryologists to better assess embryo quality, potentially leading to higher pregnancy rates.
Blastocyst culture and transfer extend the culture period of embryos to the blastocyst stage, which occurs around day 5 after fertilization. This method improves the IVF success rate by allowing the transfer of embryos that have demonstrated the ability to grow to this crucial developmental milestone, indicating robust health and viability.
The success rate of blastocyst culture and transfer varies significantly, but generally, it is higher than earlier stage transfers. Blastocysts that survive to this stage are more likely to implant once transferred, as they have already passed critical early development hurdles.
A pregnancy test is typically recommended about 14 days post-transfer. If successful, the blastocyst will be implanted in the uterine lining within this time frame, starting the early stages of pregnancy.
While specific costs can vary widely depending on several factors including clinic location and the extent of additional treatments required. At Plan B Fertility Center in Kondapur, Hyderabad, we ensure that our patients are fully informed about the expected cost before starting the treatment.