Embryo Freezing Americas

Embryo storage per additional year Embryo Cryopreservation is the process by which the surplus embryos from an IVF or ICSI cycle may be stored or frozen, for use at a later date. Embryos can be frozen at a number of their developmental different stages –up to and including blastocyst stage. The Embryologist selects the embryos suitable for freezing. The embryos are then introduced into special culture media, called cryoprotectant, to help protect them during the freezing and storage process. The embryos are then frozen using a computerised embryo freezer. Worldwide, the success rates for frozen-thawed embryos are lower than those for fresh embryo transfers.

The egg donation programme was set up to link women that wanted to donate their eggs with those couples that need donated eggs. A woman might need donated eggs for a number of reasons: - Premature ovarian failure - Genetic reasons for not using her own eggs, i.e. some diseases are transmitted genetically. - Older women who have had previously unsuccessful fertility treatments The donors are usually between 21 and 35 years old and donate altruistically to a known or an anonymous recipient. The woman donating her eggs is given fertility drugs to stimulate her ovaries and the development of several mature follicles. Each of these follicles may contain an egg. The recruitment and development of the follicles is regularly monitored by ultrasound scans and blood tests. This is to ensure that the ovarian stimulation is both safe and effective. The pregnancy rate for those treated using donated eggs is 35 % per treatment cycle at Barbados Fertility Centre. However, the success rate is dependant on many factors, such as the number and quality of the donated eggs.