Fertility Decoded

Elective freeze-all

Freezing all embryos and transferring in a later cycle rather than fresh.

Written by Fertility Decoded. Reviewed by D R, MS (OBG), FRM. Review date: 31 August 2026.

The verdict

Useful for specific medical reasons (e.g. OHSS risk), not as a routine default.

Who are these bodies?

HFEA
— UK fertility regulator; rates add-ons by evidence (traffic-light).
ESHRE
— European fertility society; evidence-based practice guidance.
NICE
— UK health-guidance body; what the NHS will and won't fund.
ISAR
— Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction; Indian expert consensus.
Cochrane
— Independent global reviewers of the underlying studies.

  • HFEA

    UK regulator

    Yellow — unclear/conflicting — chance of a baby
    Source

  • ESHRE

    European society

    Not for routine use

    Not recommended for routine clinical use (specifically not for PCOS or for OHSS prevention as a routine default; freeze-all and fresh cycles are broadly equivalent, possibly longer time-to-pregnancy, lower OHSS risk).

    Source

  • NICE

    UK NHS guidance

    Not addressed

    Not addressed as an add-on in NG257.

  • ISAR

    Indian society

    No position

    Not addressed in the 2021 ISAR add-ons consensus.

  • Cochrane

    Evidence base

    No Cochrane review identified specifically for this add-on.

Typical cost in India

Vitrification/freezing ~₹25,000–60,000.

Sources

Take this further

Sources last reviewed .