While ART programs across the United States acknowledge that there is a need to transfer fewer embryos in IVF procedures, they have been slow to adopt the recommendation to electively transfer a single embryo in good-prognosis candidates.

Lack of confidence in the ability of cryopreservation to maintain the reproductive potential of embryos frequently has been cited as a reason not to electively transfer a single embryo. This lack of confidence is evidenced by the fact that there remains a 20% gap between the fresh and frozen embryo transfer birth rates for patients less than 35 years of age who had the benefit of supernumerary embryo cryopreservation in the fresh cycle.

This course will provide ART professionals, including reproductive endocrinologists and embryologists, with information that will allow them to assess the clinical efficiency of their own cryopreservation programs. If changes are indicated, reproduction medicine professionals will be armed with an understanding of what is required for successful transition to other cryopreservation methods and/or the introduction of cryopreservation services under research protocol.


LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this course, participants should be able to:
1. Explain cryopreservation theory and the current state of cryopreservation in ART programs.
2. Critically assess the effectiveness of the cryopreservation programs in their centers.
3. Summarize techniques that have yielded successful oocyte or embryo cryopreservation and propose strategies to
implement those techniques.
4. Identify the requirements for surplus cryopreserved embryo donation for research.

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