Embryos can remain frozen and stored for years, while their quality remains intact. The freezing or cryopreserving process in the frozen embryo transfer holds the quality of the embryos and prevents any deterioration.

The success rate for the frozen embryo transfer differs according to the age of the patient or the age at the time they got their embryos frozen. However, typically women having the age between 25-35 have a better chance of success in frozen embryo transfer, almost 60%-70%. On the other hand, women above the age of 40 have comparatively fewer chances of success, which are 20%-30%. So it really depends on the age of the patient and other factors.

The survival rate of the embryos depends on their quality which is assessed before they are selected for frozen embryo transfer. Embryos quality is assessed through screening, and only selected embryos having the quality or zero defects are chosen for the FET or implantations. This quality is important to determine since it decides whether the frozen embryos will bear the process of thawing, and will be able to implant well into the uterine cavity. If the quality of the embryos is not good then they want to bring successful results for the pregnancy. The embryos assessed and qualified for the quality, and frozen through FET, almost have a 90% survival rate.

The fresh embryos used during the ICSI or IVF cycle get implanted into the woman’s uterus within 1-2 days of the transfer. However, the frozen embryos may take more time for implantation and can take up to 5 days to successfully get implanted into the woman’s uterus. This late implantation is called delayed implantation and is often experienced in case of frozen embryo transfer.

The doctor will usually advise the patient to avoid certain foods after the FET process. These foods may include non-vegetarian products, caffeine, alcohol, or refined foods. These are usually the foods that one has to avoid during their pregnancy. Raw animal products have chances of bacteria, and thus should not be taken to avoid allergies or diseases. Taking such foods can impact the fetus, and thus should be abstained from.

The best age to freeze an embryo is obviously a young age, which is 35 or below that. Freezing the eggs at a younger age gives you a better chance of a successful pregnancy as and when you decide to undergo the FET procedure. This does not mean you cannot have the eggs frozen after 35, since women have had success with FET at a later age also, but the success rate is rather low compared to younger age frozen embryos.