Freeze-all IVF cycles help improve IVF success and birth outcomes

At The Fertility Center of Las Vegas (FCLV), we use freeze-all IVF cycles because they’re backed by groundbreaking research conducted right here at our Las Vegas IVF center. Fertility and Sterility ranked our 2011 study by Dr. Bruce Shapiro among the Top 75 most-cited articles in the publication’s 75-year history.

The study helped highlight the value of delaying embryo transfer until a later, hormonally optimized cycle. It proved that doing so could increase pregnancy success rates and improve neonatal health outcomes.

The study’s findings were so influential that Jacques Cohen, editor-in-chief of Reproductive Biomedicine Online, described it as “one of the most important trials performed in IVF in the past 10 years.” He noted that it reshaped global practice by moving away from fresh embryo transfers toward freeze-all protocols.

What is an IVF freeze-all cycle, and how does it work?

In a traditional fresh embryo transfer, fertilization in the IVF lab occurs after ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval. The resulting embryos grow for three (3) to five (5) days. Then, the fertility doctor transfers one embryo to the uterus.

Freeze-all IVF cycles involve many of the same steps, with a few important differences.

• Ovarian stimulation medications stimulate egg production before egg retrieval and fertilization in the IVF lab.
• Embryo cryopreservation freezes high-quality embryos instead of transferring them immediately.
• Rest and recovery allow the uterus and hormone levels to return to a natural state after stimulation.
• Frozen embryo transfer (FET) involves thawing the frozen embryos and transferring them during a later, more natural cycle when the uterine lining is most receptive.

Research from our Las Vegas IVF center and other leading centers shows this approach can significantly improve implantation and live birth rates.

What are the benefits of freeze-all IVF cycles?

Our Las Vegas IVF center finds that this approach to in vitro fertilization comes with many benefits.

• Higher success rates. Separating ovarian stimulation from transfer improves uterine receptivity.
• Lower risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Freeze-all IVF cycles reduce the chance of OHSS by avoiding transfer during high hormone levels.
• Reduced risk of ectopic pregnancy. FET cycles have a lower risk of implantation outside the uterus.
• Better outcomes for babies. There is a lower risk of low birth weight and premature delivery.
• Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). With freezing, embryos can be biopsied and tested (PGT-A or PGT-M) before transfer.
• Fertility preservation. Embryo freezing allows embryos to be stored for future use. This is ideal for family planning or preparing for medical treatments (such as chemotherapy and radiation) that could affect fertility.

In many cases, embryo freezing lets patients have their entire family from one egg retrieval cycle.

FCLV’s ongoing commitment to improving patient success

Since 2015, FCLV has almost exclusively performed frozen embryo transfers because the evidence is clear. Freeze-all cycles can improve pregnancy rates and support healthier births.

To further improve IVF success rates and reduce risk, our team also transfers just one embryo at a time. A safe and successful pregnancy is always the goal at The Fertility Center of Las Vegas.

Contact us to learn how our nationally recognized, research-based approach can help you achieve your dream of parenthood.