Pressure changes during embryo transfer

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the pressure changes in the transferred load during mock ET.

Design: Experimental setup.

Setting: Academic Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering and private centers of reproductive medicine.

Patients(s): None.

Intervention(s): None.

Main outcome measure(s): Laboratory simulations of ET into a rigid transparent uterine model equipped with a pressure sensor.

Result(s): Injection of a transferring load during mock ET could increase pressure locally up to 155 mm Hg in <0.1 seconds. The recorded pressure increase slope reached values as high as 72,000 mmHg/s, and the pressure decrease slope reached 144,000 mmHg/s. The pressure buildup in the transferred liquid was proportional to the ejection speed of the transferred load.

Conclusion(s): ET can cause rapid pressure fluctuations in the transferred liquid. Therefore, it is advisable to transfer the embryo gently with minimum ejection speed, to avoid exposing the embryo to the steep pressure gradient.