Embryo grading allows our team to transfer the healthiest embryo
The embryologists in our IVF laboratory of our Las Vegas fertility clinic are always working hard behind the scenes to make parenthood possible. Embryo grading is one of the most important tasks they perform as part of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle.
The success of an IVF cycle depends on the quality of the embryo that the fertility doctor transfers. By grading each embryo, the medical team at The Fertility Center of Las Vegas can determine which embryos are the most likely to develop into a healthy baby.
How does embryo grading work?
The embryologists at our Las Vegas fertility clinic use a high-powered microscope and their experience to perform embryo grading on day 5, 6 or 7. At this stage of development, the embryos are called blastocysts.
When grading these developing embryos, the embryologists use the Gardner blastocyst grading system to assign three different quality scores to each embryo before transferring or freezing it.
- Blastocyst development stage. The embryologist assigns a number to each embryo to rate its development. For example, four means it is an expanded blastocyst and six means it has hatched out of its shell.
- Inner cell mass (ICM) score. This score is a letter grade that illustrates the quality of the ICM that will become the baby. An A is considered a good grade, while a C would be a poor one.
- Trophectoderm score. The score for this feature rates the quality of the area that will become the placenta during the pregnancy. Much like the ICM score, the grades range from A to C.
Our Las Vegas fertility clinic only transfers or freezes embryos that have a reasonable chance of developing into a healthy pregnancy and baby. As a result, we will not freeze or transfer an embryo with a C grade.
Taking it a step further
The doctors at our Las Vegas fertility clinic are very involved with embryo grading. The IVF laboratory is located right inside the clinic so that the doctors can review the blastocyst embryos with the embryologists to select the best one for transfer.
Our team also measures additional features of each embryo that other clinics may not record. This information allows the FCLV team to be more confident that they are transferring the embryo that offers the best chance of pregnancy.
If you would like to learn more about embryo grading and other ways that we can increase IVF success, contact us to schedule an appointment. Helping you grow your family is our goal.
