If you are attending the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in Orlando this weekend, October 15-19, please besure to stop by our exhibit booth 2607 (off towards the right, in the front of the exhibit hall near the main entrance). We are giving away a few gifts, so be sure to sign in! My staff and I will be available to speak to you during the weekend postgraduate courses, during exhibit hours or at the time of your choosing.

Practicing embryo donation for over ten years, we feel we have something to contribute. We continue to work with other professionals and practices to reduce the number of embryos discarded or abandoned, increasing the number of embryos donated and helping build families for patients in need in a non-discriminatory manner.

Over the last few weeks, we've been hosting a  

five-part blog series on disclosure issues as they relate to embryo donation. The goal of this series was to explore the complex issues surrounding the decision to disclose the genetic origins of embryo donor-conceived individuals to family, friends and the offspring themselves. To accomplish this, we investigated the varying perspectives of embryo donors, recipients and embryo donation-conceived individuals.

We would encourage you to read the blogs and survey results.  

Earlier this month we celebrated LiveStrong Day (October 2). It's a day to celebrate those who have overcome cancer and to support those still fighting the battle.

If you would like to watch a wonderful story about a cancer survivor who was able to give birth to triplets after receiving help from our parent organization, Specialists in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery, P.A. (SRMS), please click here.

For those faced with cancer, there are options for preserving your fertility. Cryopreservation of egg, sperm, embryos and potentially testicular/ovarian tissue could mean the chance of having a biological child even after cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. SRMS has worked with many patients in similar situations and wants to make sure everyone knows the options available to them.

 

For patients with cancer, we commonly cryopreserve eggs and sperm for future use. Also considered experimental, we can also cryopreserve ovarian and testicular tissues. Cryopreservation is the storing of these cells and tissues at sub-zero temperatures in liquid nitrogen tanks. Any biological activity (growth, decay, etc.) is essentially stopped, allowing for long-term storage. We are not yet sure how long the cells and tissues will survive, but years of study indicate they can last at least for decades, if not longer. Once the patient or couple who stored the material is ready to use it, they cells are thawed carefully. About 50-70% of the eggs and sperm survive and about 80-90% of rapidly frozen embryos survive. Thawing ovarian and testicular tissue is more complex and should only be done in facilities with ongoing studies.

For more information on the process or potentially storing your reproductive cells and tissue, please visit here and click on the "Cryopreservation of Gonadal Tissue and Cells" category. The downloadable pdf files provide a wealth of information.

Remember, if you or someone you know has survived cancer, but did not save cells or tissue prior to treatment and has impaired fertility, embryo donation can be a fantastic option for family building.

• To increase the number of cryopreserved embryos donated while reducing the number of frozen embryos discarded or abandoned.

• To assist in matching donated embryos to patients in need in an ethical, fair and nondiscriminatory fashion.

• To provide the largest selection of donated embryos we can so embryo recipients can have the best choice possible.

As a subdivision of Specialists In Reproductive Medicine & Surgery, P. A., we have been performing embryo donation since 2001 making us one of the most experienced embryo donation facilities in the U.S.A. We welcome you to EDI and wish you success in all that you do.

Craig R. Sweet, M.D.
Reproductive Endocrinologist
Founder, Medical & Practice Director
Embryo Donation International [email protected]