Embryo transfer is the process of transferring the embryos to the uterine cavity.
After fertilization, the embryos are grown in the laboratory under the appropriate conditions until they are ready to be transported back to the patient’s uterus.
The embryos are grown in special mini-incubators by means of special culture media. This procedure is usually done 48 or 72 hours after the egg retrieval (second or third day of cultivation). If the embryos are cultured up to the blastocyst stage, the embryo transfer is performed on the 5th or 6th day.
On the day of transfer the best embryos are selected to be placed at the bottom of the uterus with a special flexible non-traumatizing catheter. The gynecologist inserts the catheter through the cervix into the uterine cavity, where the embryos are placed under abdominal ultrasound guidance.