Embryo Cryopreservation

What is embryo cryopreservation and storage?

During IVF treatment, fertility drugs are used to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual. These are then fertilised with your partner’s, or a donor’s sperm to create embryos.

As there is normally a number of unused embryos, some people choose to freeze the good quality unused embryos for use in later treatment cycles or for donation.

Is embryo storage for me?

You may consider freezing your unused embryos for the following reasons:

• It gives you the option of using the embryos in future IVF or ICSI cycles, without having to go through the risks, expense and inconvenience of using fertility drugs and undergoing egg collection again.
• If your treatment needs to be cancelled after egg collection (e.g. if you are at risk of Ovarian Hyper-stimulation Syndrome (OHSS) you may still be able to store your embryos for future use.
• You want to donate your unused embryos for the treatment of other women or for research.
• You are facing medical treatment, such as for cancer, that may affect your fertility, (embryo freezing is currently the most effective way for women to preserve their fertility).

How much control do I have over what happens to my embryos?

Before the storage process begins, we will ask you to sign consent forms. The forms allow you to specify:

• How long you want the embryos to be stored (the standard period is ten years).
• What should happen to your embryos if you or your partner were to die or become unable to make decisions for yourself.
• Whether the embryos are to be used for your own treatment only, or whether they can be donated for someone else’s treatment, or used for research.
• Any other conditions you may have for the use of your embryos.

Withdrawing consent

You, your partner or the donor(s) can vary or withdraw consent at any time, either before treatment or before the embryos are used in research. It is important to understand that, if this happens, your embryos will not be used in treatment or research.

If one person withdraws consent (either the person who provided the eggs or the sperm) then there will be a ‘cooling-off’ period of up to a year which will allow you to decide what should happen to the embryos.

If you are not continuing treatment, you may want to consider donating your unused embryos.

What is my chance of having a baby using frozen embryos?

National statistics show that the birth rates from fresh and frozen embryo transfers are very comparable.

Your chances of becoming pregnant with a thawed frozen embryo are not affected by the length of time the embryo has been stored for.

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What are the risks to cryopreserved embryos?

• Not all embryos will survive freezing and eventual thawing when they come to be used.  Very occasionally no embryos will survive.
• It is not uncommon for those cleavage embryos that do survive freezing and thawing to lose a cell or two. Ideally the embryos should continue to divide between thawing and transfer.

To date, there is no known evidence to suggest a risk to patients or to children born from frozen embryos. We continue to review the evidence available on embryo freezing and the long-term results of frozen embryo transfer.

All patients undergoing this process are advised to access our Counselling Service, as it can be particularly helpful at this time.

How are donated frozen embryos used?

Your embryos can only be donated if the people who provided the sperm and eggs which were used to create the embryos – you, your partner (if you have one) and any donor(s) – give their consent to this in writing. Once you have given your consent, they may be used for three purposes:

For more information please visit the HFEA website: http://www.hfea.gov.uk/.