Embryo Freezing (Cryopreservation)

Embryo freezing/cryopreservation is a process where embryos (fertilized eggs) of suitable quality are frozen in small vials using liquid nitrogen and specialized equipment. The embryos can then potentially be thawed and transferred to the uterus at a future date. The major benefit of embryo cryopreservation is to have suitable embryos available for transfer without having to incur the costs and time commitment associated with a fresh IVF cycle. In some cases, there may be enough embryos that are cryopreserved to allow for several frozen embryo transfer attempts. The main risk associated with embryo cryopreservation is failure of the embryos to survive the freezing and thawing process.