Cryopreservation

Cryopreservation is a technique used by IRMS to freeze and then thaw sperm and embryos for use in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. With the availability of frozen embryos, a woman doesn’t need to undergo stimulation by fertility drugs in order to have an embryo transfer during IVF. When sperm is collected during microsurgery or by other means, and frozen for a subsequent IVF cycle, additional surgery may be avoided.

 

Embryo Cryopreservation

During the standard course of IVF infertility treatment, hormones are used to stimulate the development of multiple eggs. After these eggs are retrieved and fertilized in the laboratory, there may be more embryos created than can reasonably be transferred to the woman’s uterus. When these "extra" embryos are of sufficient quality, they may be cryopreserved (frozen) so that they may be transferred at a future date. Embryo cryopreservation or embryo freezing, which is possible in approximately 25% of IVF cycles, provides the opportunity to have an additional embryo transfer without the inconvenience and expense of a full IVF cycle.

Embryos may be frozen at any stage between day 1 and day 6 after egg retrieval. However, not all embryos are candidates for cryopreservation. Unfortunately, some may be damaged by cryopreservation and experience has shown that high quality embryos are far more likely than others to survive and be capable of further development after freezing. Embryos that divide slowly, or are irregular in other ways, do not fare well after cryopreservation and, therefore, are not frozen.  Because problems such as these are more prevalent in older women, cryopreservation usually is not recommended for patients age 40 and older.

After placing the embryos in a cryoprotectant solution, they are frozen in a computer-controlled device designed specifically for embryo cryopreservation. Long-term embryo storage is in liquid nitrogen, at a temperature of –320^oF (-196^oC).

Frozen Embryo Transfer

Cryopreserved embryos are replaced during either a natural menstrual cycle or a hormonally controlled cycle. Considerable care is taken to minimize the possibility of damage caused by cryopreservation. Depending on the embryo stage at the time of freezing, between 60 and 90 % survive the freeze/thaw process. The pregnancy rate after frozen embryo transfer is similar to that of fresh embryos.

Extended periods of storage in liquid nitrogen have no apparent affect on frozen embryo viability. Embryos thawed after several years of cryostorage fare as well as those frozen for only one or two months. Since 1983, embryo cryopreservation has resulted in the birth of thousands of babies worldwide. With this extensive experience, there have been no reports of any increase in birth defects as a result of embryo cryopreservation.

 

Oocyte Cryopreservation

While embryos are reliably and routinely cryopreserved, it is not currently possible to efficiently freeze human eggs (oocyte cryopreservation). There have been isolated reports of pregnancies that resulted from frozen eggs, but the few IVF programs attempting this procedure have experienced very low success rates. Research underway at IRMS and at other research centers around the world, is designed to define the conditions that are necessary for safe and reliable egg freezing.  Scientists at IRMS have made significant breakthroughs in oocyte cryopreservation, however this is not a service we offer to our patients at this time.

Articles with additional information on egg freezing and embryo freezing can be found in our research articles page.

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