FET stands for Frozen Embryo Transfer, which is a process used in IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) to help a woman become pregnant. During the standard IVF procedure, embryos are created and then frozen for use in a future cycle. In an FET cycle, the frozen embryos are thawed and transferred back into the uterus at a later time. This procedure is gaining popularity due to its safety and high success rates.
The FET process involves hormone therapy to prepare the uterus for embryo transfer. A woman may undergo an FET cycle whenever she has frozen embryos and wishes to use them. The FET cycle typically begins with 3 to 4 weeks of daily birth control pills to suppress the normal ovarian cycle, followed by a baseline assessment involving bloodwork and ultrasound. Depending on the test results, the physician may instruct the woman to begin sequential injections of estrogen to build up the uterine lining. After the uterine lining is prepared, the frozen embryos are thawed and transferred back into the uterus.
FET is often a good choice over a fresh stimulated cycle if a woman has frozen embryos to use. Benefits of FET include lower cost, less complex treatment, and fewer medications. The FET cycle takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks. Excellent FET pregnancy rates occur in most cases with the transfer of one to two embryos, which also minimizes the risk of multiples.
