What is involved in Embryo Freezing?
If more eggs are normally fertilized and divide to form healthy-looking embryos than is advisable to replace during the treatment cycle, the additional embryos can be frozen and stored for replacement in the future. However, the embryos may not survive the freezing process or may be incapable of resuming growth after thawing. Offspring born from frozen embryos have the same rate of congenital abnormalities as the general population. When damage occurs during the freezing process, the pregnancy usually does not ensue. The likelihood of establishing a pregnancy following transfer of frozen- thawed embryos is about 15-20% per transfer. Once frozen, the embryos can be maintained in storage for several years, but we encourage replacement within 2 years of fertilization whenever possible. The consent form for embryo freezing requests that you indicate how you would like to dispose of the frozen embryo(s) in case of divorce and death. The options include donating the embryos anonymously for t
