Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 May 1;24(2):135-142.
doi: 10.5935/1518-0557.20190074.

The effect of fresh IVF cycle characteristics on frozen embryo transfer (FET) outcomes

Nayla J Bushaqer  1   2   3 , Noor N Alkhudhairy  4 , Ziyad M Alturaigi  4 , Rowaida M Alhamad  4 , Wadha A Mohawesh  1   2   5 , Fatema E Alraka  1   6 , Hisham A Ayyoub  7 , M Dayou Nawal  3   8
Affiliations

The effect of fresh IVF cycle characteristics on frozen embryo transfer (FET) outcomes

Nayla J Bushaqer et al. JBRA Assist Reprod. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of fresh IVF/ICSI cycles on FET cycle embryo and pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included data from the medical records of 104 FET cycles performed from January 2014 to December 2016. Embryos were previously vitrified and then thawed for embryo transfer. Statistical significance was established at p<0.05. The main endpoints were FET cycle survival and pregnancy rates.

Results: A total of 104 FET cycles were analyzed for survival; 94 showed good progression and 84 achieved embryo transfers. Patients with secondary infertility achieved significantly higher pregnancy rates - 6/38 (15.8%) vs. 18/46 (39.1%) (p<0.018). Stimulation with FSH/LH resulted in more significant embryo progression, 38/48 (79.2%) vs. 28/46 (60.9%) in the FSH group (p=0.01). Patients who got pregnant from fresh cycles had the highest pregnancy rates in FET cycles (p<0.0001). Lower numbers of frozen embryos correlated with higher pregnancy rates (p=0.048). Embryos frozen on day 2 or 3 had the most significant progression (p<0.0001). Freeze-thaw intervals >12 months yielded higher pregnancy rates, 13/30 (43%), vs. 11/54 (20.4%) (p=0.025).

Conclusion: Patient pregnancy in fresh cycles is a good prognostic factor for FET cycle success. Delaying FET by more than 12 months might result in higher pregnancy rates.

Keywords: Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI); cryopreservation; frozen embryo transfer (FET); in vitro fertilization (IVF); thawing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors have no conflict of interest. This study was not funded or supported by pharmaceutical companies.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Aflatoonian N, Pourmasumi S, Aflatoonian A, Eftekhar M. Duration of storage does not influence pregnancy outcome in cryopreserved human embryos. Iran J Reprod Med. 2013;11:843–846. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ashrafi M, Jahangiri N, Hassani F, Akhoond MR, Madani T. The factors affecting the outcome of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. 2011;50:159–164. doi: 10.1016/j.tjog.2011.01.037. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barcroft J, Dayoub N, Thong KJ. Fifteen year follow-up of embryos cryopreserved in cancer patients for fertility preservation. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2013;30:1407–1413. doi: 10.1007/s10815-013-0024-z. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Basile N, Garcia-Velasco JA. The state of "freeze-for-all" in human ARTs. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2016;33:1543–1550. doi: 10.1007/s10815-016-0799-9. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Basirat Z, Adib Rad H, Esmailzadeh S, Jorsaraei SG, Hajian-Tilaki K, Pasha H, Ghofrani F. Comparison of pregnancy rate between fresh embryo transfers and frozen-thawed embryo transfers following ICSI treatment. Int J Reprod Biomed (Yazd) 2016;14:39–46. doi: 10.29252/ijrm.14.1.39. - DOI - PMC - PubMed