How long can my embryos be stored for? The standard storage period for embryos is normally
10 years
, although women in certain circumstances can store their embryos for up to 55 years.
How long can embryos be frozen and still be viable?
How long can frozen embryos be stored? The longest time a human embryo has been stored is around 30 years, but once embryos have been frozen,
they can be stored indefinitely
.
Can you freeze a fertilized embryo?
Physicians can freeze and store unused embryos
(fertilized eggs) created during IVF, which may include intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), using a process called cryopreservation, or embryo freezing. Freezing the embryos is the first step of embryo cryopreservation.
Does freezing damage embryos?
Does freezing damage the embryos? Sadly,
not all embryos will survive the freezing and thawing process
and very occasionally no embryos will survive. It’s not uncommon for those embryos that do survive to lose a cell or two. In many cases the embryo will recover and continue to develop.
How do embryos survive the freezing process?
Embryo Freezing: The embryos first go through cryopreservation, which removes water from the cell and replaces it with cryoprotectant. Then the embryo is usually
frozen through vitrification
; this preserves the embryo without forming damaging ice crystals. The embryos are stored in liquid nitrogen.
What percentage of fertilized eggs make it to Day 5?
Remember, even if all of your embryos are perfect on day 3, on average only
40-50%
of them will become blastocyst on day 5.
Is 6 frozen embryos good?
We have found from our data that
there is no difference in success
between an embryo that is frozen on day 5 or day 6 which is very interesting. A recent study on slow blastocyst development suggests that day 6 embryos should be frozen and transferred in a later FET cycle rather than transferred fresh.
Which embryos are suitable for freezing?
Embryos that have cells of equal size and shape
, with little or no fragmentation have the greatest pregnancy rate. Therefore if an embryo has developed to the 6‐cell stage or greater by day 3 of culture can be frozen, providing they have little or no fragmentation.
What did you do with leftover embryos?
Whether the unused embryos are disposed of at the clinic or given over to you for burial, you may
hold a ceremony or self-created ritual to mark the passing of the embryos
. Another option offered by some clinics involves transferring the embryos to your uterus at a time in your cycle when pregnancy is impossible.
What percentage of frozen embryos survive the thaw?
Generally,
almost nine out of ten embryos
survive the thawing process.” Dr.
How many frozen embryos is good?
Basically, if you are under 35, it’s your first IVF cycle, your embryos look good, and if you have extra embryos good enough to freeze, we recommend
two embryos to
transfer.
Should I freeze embryos?
In some situations, your physician may recommend freezing your embryos to help avoid the
risk
of a condition called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which would worsen after pregnancy. It may also be recommended to help increase the chance of pregnancy if certain hormone levels are too high during the IVF cycle.
When should you freeze embryos?
Embryos can be frozen at the pronuclear stage (one cell), or at any stage after that up to and including the blastocyst stage
(5-7 days after fertilization)
. Different cryoprotectants and freezing solutions and protocols are used for different stages of embryo development.
What percentage of fertilized eggs fail to develop?
Implantation. Once the embryo reaches the blastocyst stage, approximately five to six days after fertilization, it hatches out of its zona pellucida and begins the process of implantation in the uterus. In nature,
50 percent
of all fertilized eggs are lost before a woman’s missed menses.
What percentage of fertilized eggs make it full?
Between one-third and one-half
of all fertilized eggs never fully implant. A pregnancy is considered to be established only after implantation is complete.
What percentage of mature eggs fertilize?
How many of my eggs will fertilize? On average most patients will have
70-85%
of their mature eggs fertilize. Immature eggs cannot be injected (ICSI) and will not fertilize in standard IVF. If the eggs are poorer quality and/or the sperm used is very poor, the fertilization may be lower than for the average patient.
