Embryo transfer occurs 3-5 days after egg aspiration for IVF patients. The ART nurse will call the day after egg retrieval to notify the patient of laboratory fertilization results. Unfortunately, embryo transfer is not always successful. Sometimes no eggs can be retrieved, the eggs will not fertilize, or the fertilized eggs may fail to develop.

We usually recommend transferring several pre-embryos to maximize the chance for pregnancy, while minimizing the risk for multiple births. The number of embryos transferred varies according to individual diagnosis, age, physician recommendation, or procedure. Our physicians usually recommend no more than 3 pre-embryos be transferred. Prior to the ART cycle, each couple will have the opportunity to discuss embryo transfer with their physician.

The patient should arrive at the RMG/IVF Surgery Center 45 minutes prior to the scheduled time of the embryo transfer. The embryologist and physician will choose the healthiest embryos to place back into the uterus. No anesthesia is necessary for the procedure, as it is painless. Embryo transfer is done on an outpatient basis.

During the procedure, the patient reclines on a “stretcher.” The physician uses a vaginal speculum to expose the cervix. The embryologist loads the catheter – a long, thin sterile tube with a syringe on the end, with the correct number of embryos and a few drops of culture media. The physician guides the catheter through the cervix and deposits the embryos into the uterine cavity. Ultrasound may be utilized to assist with the embryo placement. The transfer catheter is checked by the embryologist under the microscope to verify that all embryos were delivered. The transfer procedure takes approximately 15 minutes.

Following the transfer, the patient rests in the recovery area for approximately 15 minutes and then is discharged home. Rest should be continued at home for another 24 hours. The patient is instructed to lie on a sofa, reclining chair, or in bed – she may get up to use the rest room and eat. Activity should be light for the next 2 weeks until the results of the pregnancy tests are known. Blood is drawn for the pregnancy test at the physicians’ office two weeks after the embryo transfer.