How are embryos destroyed when patients request disposition?
A formal request to destroy the embryos must be received in writing from the patients. The request must be signed by both partners and notarized or witnessed by a member of our staff. Once the laboratory has received the disposition notice no action is taken for 30 days. This gives the couple a cooling off period and an opportunity to change their decision. When the 30-day waiting period has passed, two Embryologists take responsibility for carrying out the patients’ wishes. They fill out a form indicating that they have checked the disposition request and are in agreement that the patient wants the embryos discarded. They locate the embryos in the storage tank and double check the identity with the paperwork. The embryos are then thawed and discarded as medical waste. The paperwork is complete when both embryologists sign, attesting that they performed and witnessed the destruction according to the patients’ wishes. The paperwork is kept in the laboratory files and a copy filed in the
A formal request to destroy the embryos must be received in writing from the patients. The request must be signed by both partners and notarized or witnessed by a member of our staff. Once the laboratory has received the disposition notice no action is taken for 30 days. This gives the couple a cooling off period and an opportunity to change their decision. When the 30-day waiting period has passed, two Embryologists take responsibility for carrying out the patients’ wishes. They fill out a form indicating that they have checked the disposition request and are in agreement that the patient wants the embryos discarded. They locate the embryos in the storage tank and double check the identity with the paperwork. The embryos are then thawed and discarded as medical waste. The paperwork is complete when both embryologists sign, attesting that they performed and witnessed the destruction according to the patients’ wishes. The paperwork is kept in the laboratory files and a copy filed in the
