MEX 664 635 1854CURRENT STATUS
The first pregnancy from a frozen/thawed human embryo was reported in 1983, and a birth from this source occurred the following year. Of 99,629 cases of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)* in the United States in 2000, about 16% of cases (16,194) used frozen/thawed embryos. In 2000, live birth rates per thaw cycle were 18.3% versus 26.6% from fresh embryo transfer. At SEMERT, the ongoing pregnancy rate for IVF using frozen/thawed embryos is currently over 40%.
CRYOPRESERVATION OF HUMAN EMBRYOS
Egg retrieval under ultrasound guidance and subsequent fertilization and embryo culture are carried out according to our current procedures. If there happens to be a surplus of embryos following selection for fresh transfer (usually between one to four embryos are transferred to the uterus), then embryos of sufficient quality may be considered for cryostorage. While embryos can be frozen at any preimplantation stage between one-cell (one day old) to the blastocyst stage (5-6 days old), in an attempt to minimize the freezing of excessive numbers of “spare” embryos and to help pre-select the most potentially viable embryos, we generally choose to cryopreserve only at the blastocyst stage. In certain cases where all embryos need to be frozen without a fresh transfer (e.g., when a woman may be at risk from ovarian hyperstimulation that might be complicated by pregnancy), we generally freeze all embryos the day after egg collection at the one-cell stage.
During a medication-prepared frozen/thawed embryo transfer cycle as a patient, you will follow a treatment schedule using Synarel or Lupron, estrogen (pills, lozenge or patch) and progesterone (lozenge and/or suppository) in order to achieve appropriate endometrium (uterine wall lining) for embryo transfer. Following embryo transfer, estrogen and progesterone will be administered daily until the 7th to 8th week of pregnancy or until a negative pregnancy test.
CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS
The Ethics Committee of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has published guidelines for ethical consideration of human embryo cryopreservation. Possible advantages of cryopreservation of embryos suggested by the Committee include:
CONCERNS
The primary concern with the use of cryopreservation techniques is the possible loss of embryos to cryoinjury, meaning some healthy embryos may not survive the stress of freezing & thawing. The exact number of embryos lost to cryoinjury varies, but it is very likely that freezing will cause loss of some embryos, perhaps as many as 25-50% of those cryostored. One interpretation of this is that cryopreservation may even act as a “selection gate” for the more viable embryos, though this has never been proven.
Another concern with cryopreservation is the potential risk of birth defects in children produced from frozen/thawed embryos. In the domestic animal industry, large-scale freezing and transfer of embryos has not resulted in increased birth defects. Studies to date on those human offspring arising from thawed embryos have not shown any significant increase in abnormalities when compared to pregnancy outcomes in the rest of the population.
To optimize the likelihood of successful embryo cryopreservation at FERTILITE, the mechanical processes of human embryo cryopreservation will be strictly controlled to minimize the chances of technical failure. A back-up freezing system is always available to decrease the risk of interruption in the freezing process, as well as generator back-up power in the event of a power outage. Individual embryos are placed in permanently labeled storage containers and identified according to origin, developmental stage, and date frozen. Permanent records are kept at Servicios Medicos Reproductivos de Tijuana for each individual’s embryos. Liquid nitrogen dewars are connected to alarm systems to monitor the liquid nitrogen levels and prevent premature thawing. However, even with all these safeguards, the possibility of technical failure leading to loss of stored embryos following natural disaster cannot be totally and completely eliminated.
PERIOD OF CRYOSTORAGE
The disposition of any frozen embryos that are not transferred must be arranged in writing before cryopreservation (see Cryopreservation Consent Form). In the event that a successful pregnancy is established following a fresh or subsequent embryo thaw cycle, it will be at the discretion of the couple as to whether the remaining frozen embryos should continue to be cryostored, or appropriately discarded or donated. This may include the option to donate the embryos for research or to other infertile couples for transfer.
Cryopreservation records, along with all records of medical care and procedures, will be maintained in the strictest confidence at Servicios Medicos Reproductivos de Tijuana.
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