Blastocyst Transfer

Prior to recent breakthroughs with blastocyst transfer, embryos conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) were typically transferred to the woman’s uterus on the third day after fertilization. Blastocyst transfer, the transfer of embryos on the fifth day after fertilization, helps us to maintain the high pregnancy rates that patients have come to expect from IVF Institute while decreasing the risk of multiple gestational pregnancies.

A blastocyst, by definition, is an embryo that has developed for five to seven days after fertilization and has developed two distinct cell types and a central cavity filled with fluid (blastocoel cavity). The blastocyst culture and day-five embryo transfer procedure for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) facilitates selection of the best quality embryos for transfer. The concept of embryo quality is very important for couples who are experiencing infertility. With blastocyst embryo transfer, we can transfer fewer embryos, thereby reducing risks for multiple pregnancies while still keeping our overall pregnancy rates at our Dallas, Texas-area infertility treatment center very high.