Options for Cryopreserved Embryos          Links and Resources 

Options for Cryopreserved Embryos

 If you have completed your family building, and have remaining embryos cryopreserved (frozen) from your IVF cycle there are choices which will need to be discussed. We understand that decisions regarding the destiny of cryopreserved embryos can be very difficult. CNY Fertility Center has worked to provide as many options as possible, with the hope that one is right for you. Listed below are the options which are currently available.

1. Maintain the cryopreserved embryos in storage for your future use- Annual storage fees will be billed to you.  You are responsible for keeping the account current, and informing CNY Fertility Center of any changes in address.

2. Discard the embryos – Embryos are removed from their liquid nitrogen storage unit and brought to room temperature. During the cryopreservation procedure the embryos were dehydrated, and the water in the cell was replaced with cryoprotectant. The cells of the embryo will degenerate if they are not re-hydrated, thus bringing the embryos to room temperature and not re-hydrating them with solutions will cause them to degenerate and the cells to no longer divide and grow. This is the process that we use to discard embryos.

3. Donate embryos to science – There are two options for embryo donation to science.

A. Donation to Research – The University of California at San Francisco IVF Tissue bank is accepting embryos for research. The IVF Tissue Bank will collect specimens, including frozen embryos, for a variety of types of research. The research performed on embryos obtained from the bank will fall into 3 categories, or levels. The first level involves research for basic biology of embryo development and infertility, among others. In this research, the embryos will be analyzed by a variety of methods, such as microscopy, histochemistry, microarrays, PCR, etc. In the second level, embryonic stem cells will be derived from them. Within the third level, they may be used for nuclear transfer experiment. These embryos will NOT be used to create a pregnancy or child. They will be treated in an ethical manner as required by the guidelines adhered to by UCSF.

Embryos created from either or both donor eggs and donor sperm may not eligible for this option.

To participate in this program you must contact Denise Bernstein at 415.885.3631 for additional information about the program and steps to donation for research.

B. Donation to CNY Fertility Center’s Training Program – CNY Fertility Center is continuously working to improve embryo technique. New technology in the field of IVF requires embryologists be trained.  Donating your embryos to CNY Fertility Center’s training program allows embryologists to train on these donated embryos while learning new techniques which will help infertility couples in the future. An example of a new technology is Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) where one blastomere is biopsied from a Day 3 embryo. This is a very precise technique which requires training. Donating your embryos to the training program will allow embryologists to receive the “real life” training that only working with human embryos can provide. All embryos will be treated ethically and NOT used to create a pregnancy or child. Embryos will be discarded after they are used for training.

4. Donate the embryos to another couple – Embryos can be donated to another couple dealing with infertility, where the donated embryos are transferred into the recipient’s uterus in an attempt to create a pregnancy.

A. Donation to a couple through another agency – Agencies such as www.embryodonation.org (National Embryo Donation Center) as well as www.snowflakes.org (Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program) offer this arrangement and additional details can be found at their websites. Should you choose this option, you will work directly with the agency to arrange for the transfer of your embryos from CNY Fertility Center to the destination arranged by the agency.

Links and Resources about embryo donation

Donation to Another couple:

Resolve - embryo donation online guide for DONORS - published by Resolve

(Updated 11/2/07)