Ovation Fertility™ state-of-the-art storage facilities offer long-term embryo storage

During your experience with assisted reproductive technology, or ART, you may need to take advantage of short-term or long-term embryo storage.

For short-term storage, you will store your embryos at our IVF lab facilities in an environment that is continuously monitored to ensure optimal environmental conditions and security. Our Nashville embryo freezing center performs quality assurance and uses industry-leading backup systems to protect your embryos while they are stored on site. For long-term storage, your embryos will be safe and secure in Ovation Fertility’s long-term storage facility.

Who needs long-term embryo storage?

Most patients who undergo IVF will need embryo storage. Short-term storage is the most common because it is useful in multiple situations.

• Some couples need storage because they respond very well to ovarian stimulation and attain excellent fertilization, thus producing a large number of embryos.
• Other couples need storage while they are awaiting the results of their preimplantation genetic testing.
• Still others need storage because their physicians prefer to transfer their embryos into a uterine environment that has been stimulated with lower doses of estrogen rather than the very high levels that can sometimes result from ovarian stimulation.

Taking it a step further, many couples will need long-term embryo storage. The most common reason for this need is that a couple has conceived during the first IVF cycle, and the couple wants to save these extra, high-quality embryos in order to continue to expand their family at a much lower cost in the future.

How does long-term embryo storage work?

Our Nashville embryo freezing center has a long history of proven success with embryo freezing techniques. The current gold standard in embryo freezing is vitrification, a technique that uses ultra-rapid cooling to minimize the damage to developing embryos and to maximize their potential to develop into healthy babies. Our laboratories were among the first to use vitrification, and they have helped modify some of the protocols used worldwide today.

Once embryos have been vitrified, they are stored in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius (-320 degrees Fahrenheit). This temperature stops embryonic metabolism, allowing embryos to be stored indefinitely if necessary.

What are the benefits of long-term embryo storage?

Ovation Fertility provides a state-of-the-art long-term storage facility for frozen embryos, eggs and sperm. In this off site storage facility, men and women can feel confident that their reproductive materials are safe with an industry leader that offers these unique advantages:

• Leading-edge equipment and facilities for freezing and storage
• 24-hour monitoring of materials, complete with backup power and security redundancies
• Experienced and knowledgeable staff
• Best practices in cryopreservation and long-term storage

What happens when I am ready to transfer my frozen embryos?

When it is time for your transfer, Ovation Fertility makes the process simple. Ovation Fertility will work with our Nashville embryo freezing center to safely ship your embryo when it is needed.

Once your embryo arrives at our Nashville embryo freezing center, our embryologists will thaw the embryo and asses it regularly during the thawing process to ensure that it has an optimal chance of survival. Once they confirm that the embryo has survived and has started growing again, it will be cultured in the laboratory until it is time for your transfer.

Nashville Fertility Center is committed to helping patients achieve their dreams of parenthood, one healthy baby at a time. Contact us to learn more.