When it comes to helping couples experience the joys of parenthood, in vitro fertilization (IVF) remains the most popular procedure to treat male and female infertility. Dr. Joseph E. Martin and our team has helped countless people in the greater San Antonio, TX area become pregnant despite various medical conditions and circumstances.

Of course, successful IVF treatment does lead to some unexpected choices patients may not have considered. With that in mind, we at the Fertility Center of San Antonio would like to discuss leftover embryos following IVF and what can be done with them.

Extra Embryos After the Procedure

After embryo transfer is performed in an IVF procedure, you may have more than one embryo remaining. This is not uncommon since multiple eggs may be harvested and fertilized to maximize the chances of successful pregnancy. You may many different options for what to do with these embryos, as we’ll note below.

Cryopreservation of Additional Embryos

Cryopreservation involves freezing embryos at subzero temperatures to preserve them for later use. The same process can be used to preserve eggs and sperm as well.

Why Someone Would Pick Embryo Preservation

Embryo preservation allows you to use the embryos at a later time without going through another period of ovary stimulation and egg harvesting. This is a good option for:

• People who are cautious about failing an initial IVF cycle
• People who want to have children though IVF later on in life
• People who are on the fence about having children later and would like to preserve embryos just in case

Embryo Donation: Helping Infertile Couples

If you have leftover embryos, you can give them to another couple or individual who is having trouble getting pregnant. There are many patients who would be happy to receive a viable embryo, and the Fertility Center of San Antonio can connect you with them.

Why Someone Would Donate Embryos to Couples

There are many people who struggle to become pregnant out there. Donating your embryos to them can help them experience the joys of parenthood, and it may give you a good feeling inside knowing you helped.

Embryo Donation: Furthering Medical Research

Rather than donating embryos to other couples of patients, these embryos can also be donated to scientists to further our understanding of human life, pregnancy, and infertility.

Why Someone Would Donate Embryos to Science

As with donating embryos to couples, donating your embryos to science can give you a good feeling inside. Your donation can help medical researches with studies and the development of new fertility treatment techniques.

Not Using Any Leftover Embryos

If you would prefer, your unused embryos can simply be discarded rather than preserved or donated.

Which Option is Best for Me?

The decision is up to you. While there are various practical and financial concerns that come into play, our goal is to give you all the information you need to make the chose that feels best. We’ll be more than happy to answer questions and address concerns about various aspects of fertility treatment.

Learn More About IVF

To learn more about IVF and your many other options for overcoming infertility, be sure to contact an experienced fertility specialist. The team at the Fertility Center of San Antonio can be reached by phone at (800) 708-1869.