IVF Frozen embryo transfer - FET - What is the best way to prepare the u...

IVF FET or Frozen embryo transfer is associated with an almost 10% better chance for pregnancy than fresh transfer. The benefit is thought to be in the preparation of the uterus. But what is the best way to prepare the uterus?



In order to prepare the uterus for implantation, you need two hormones: estrogen and progesterone. Simply put, the estrogen makes the uterine lining thicker and progesterone changes the lining so it can accept an embryo.



The most common method for uterine preparation has a woman taking medications containing estrogen and progesterone to prepare the uterus. The estrogen is given commonly by a pill orally but can also be given vaginally. Some doctors like to give estrogen patches or even estrogen injections. Progesterone is given typically as a vaginal suppository in combination with progesterone injections.



Less commonly, doctors may choose to use the estrogen and progesterone that a woman makes naturally when she develops an egg and ovulates. This is known as Natural cycle FET. Obviously, if a woman does not ovulate, this method is not an option



Which way is better? Several studies have compared the two methods. As happens many times with medical studies, the studies did not all agree on the same conclusion. In other words, some studies indicated that natural cycle FET was better. Some studies concluded that hormone FET was better and some said it didnt matter



When this happens, we at InfertilityTV will look for a type of study called a meta analysis. With a meta analysis, multiple smaller studies can be combined into one larger study. The greater number of patients studies, the greater the chance that you will get valid conclusions



So, in 2019, a group of doctors from Brazil performed a meta analysis comparing natural cycle FET to hormone FET. In the end, the meta analysis looked at 5 studies involving nearly 9000 FET cycles. What did they find?  Neither natural cycle or hormone prepared FET could be proven to be better.



So, if you are planning to do an FET cycle. Its probably ok to choose either one of these methods. However, I will point out that doing a natural cycle can be much more difficult because of the close monitoring that is required to determine the exact time of ovulation. For these reasons, at IVF1, we prefer to do do FET cycles with hormone preparation



Infertility TV is your weekly source for the best medical information if you have infertility, recurrent miscarriage or are just trying to conceive. (TTC). InfertilityTV covers infertility testing, fertility treatments such as Clomid, Follistim and Crinone and fertility treatments like IUI and IVF (in vitro fertilization)



One of the most popular playlists on InfertilityTV are the TTC tips which are great even you are not struggling with infertility



Dr Morris is a practicing IVF and infertility expert who sees patients at IVF! located in the Naperville Fertility Center.



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