World IVF Day: How Does Embryo Pooling Affect IVF Outcomes

Instead of trying to retrieve eggs and transfer an embryo within one IVF cycle, doctors create a reserve of embryos first and then decide when to transfer. This method can prove to be particularly helpful in situations where the number or quality of eggs from a single cycle may not be enough to offer the best chance of pregnancy.

This article is authored byDr Rakhi Goyal, Fertility Specialist at Birla Fertility & IVF, Chandigarh and Dr Muskaan Chhabra, Fertility Specialist at Birla Fertility & IVF, Lajpat Nagar

The Concept and Purpose of Embryo Pooling in IVF

Why Would Someone Need This?

There are several reasons. One of the most common is low ovarian reserve. Some women, especially those with low AMH levels or high FSH, produce very few eggs in one cycle. That means they may end up with only one or two embryos, or sometimes, none. By undergoing two or more cycles and pooling the embryos, there’s a higher chance of having at least one that’s good enough for transfer.

Age is another important factor. As women get older, the chances of embryos having genetic abnormalities go up. For instance, for someone over 37, even if a few embryos are formed, some may not be chromosomally normal. Pooling increases the number of embryos available for genetic testing, which can improve the chances of finding a healthy, “euploid” embryo.

Embryo pooling is also useful in cases of recurrent implantation failures, where previous IVF attempts haven’t resulted in pregnancy. In such cases, having more embryos gives doctors more flexibility in selecting the ones most likely to succeed. It’s also helpful in fertility preservation, such as for cancer patients who need to delay pregnancy, or women freezing embryos for future use. And when the male partner has severe sperm issues, embryo development can be unpredictable. Pooling gives couples more chances in such scenarios.

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How This Affects IVF Outcomes

Pooling doesn’t change how the body responds to treatment, but it changes strategy. Instead of putting pressure on a single cycle to work, it gives time to gather more embryos and increases the odds of success across all frozen transfers. It also lets doctors prepare the uterus (endometrium) more carefully in a frozen cycle, which can improve implantation chances. Not just medically, embryo pooling also helps with emotional burnout for couples as it reduces the emotional and financial burden of repeated stimulation and transfer cycles.

That said, embryo pooling isn’t for everyone. For younger women with good ovarian reserve, a single well-timed cycle may be just as effective. But for patients with low ovarian reserve, older age, or other complexities, pooling gives more control and better chances.

It does require more time and effort but for the right patient, it can make a meaningful difference in reaching that final goal: a healthy pregnancy.

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