Donation of frozen embryos after in vitro fertilization is uncommon.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the availability of donated cryopreserved embryos.

DESIGN

Retrospective review.

SETTING

Community hospital-based IVF-ET program.

PATIENTS

Eighty-three consecutive infertile couples who had 98 sets of embryos cryopreserved after IVF-ET and GIFT between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 1991.

INTERVENTION(S): Cryopreservation of fertilized oocytes or cleaving embryos after IVF-ET and GIFT.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Disposition of frozen embryos as of December 31, 1995.

RESULT(S): Of 98 sets of frozen embryos, 71 (72.4%) were thawed for transfer into the infertile woman. At an average of 6 years since the treatment cycle, six sets of embryos (6.1%) remain in storage. Of 21 sets of embryos not thawed for autologous transfer, the majority (17.4%) were discarded, leaving only four clutches (4.1%) available for donation.

CONCLUSION(S): Couples who did not use their frozen embryos after IVF-ET and GIFT were four times more likely to destroy them than to donate them.