Blastocyst Transfer

Dr. Rhythm Gupta is a IVF & Infertility specialist at Excel IVF, top IVF clinic in Delhi with a great success rate.

5 days after fertilization, the embryo is referred as Blastocyst. This is the stage of development before the embryo can implant itself in the uterus. The structure of the blastocyst has increased number of cells as compared to the embryo. These cells are distributed in two areas, an outer embryo lining that helps in implantation and an inner cell mass, that gives rise to the fetus.

Blastocyst embryo is implanted into the uterus at approximately the same time that it would have entered the uterus with a natural pregnancy. For better success rate, the blastocyst implanted should be of a higher grade.

Standard IVF practice involves the embryo replacement in the uterus after 3 days, so the embryos are at the good stage of development. However, blastocyst transfer is done after 5 days. During this period the embryos are cultured in the laboratory. This extended period allows the embryologist to identify the embryos with higher potential of implantation. Transferring the embryos into the uterus at the blastocyst stage helps in better coordination between the embryo and the uterus.

The blastocyst transferred on day 5 has higher chances of a healthy pregnancy that the embryo transfer procedure done on day 3. It also allows the embryologist to determine which embryo has the best chances of implementation, thus reducing the number of embryos transferred and the risk of multiple pregnancies.