Can embryos created by frozen (vitrified) eggs be re-frozen?

This is one of a series of news items from abstracts of studies presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine as complied by Dr. David Meldrum, Scientific Director of Reproductive Partners. We appreciate the enormous amount of work it takes to compile and comment on these abstracts.


According to a study reported at ASRM the answer is yes.

Vitrified embryos resulting from vitrified eggs achieved the same ongoing pregnancy and delivery rates as vitrified embryos from fresh eggs. These data further support the use of egg vitrification with multiple freeze all cycles for poor responders to allow for one ICSI procedure, and for freeze all of high responders to limit excess embryos and difficult decisions by the couple once they complete their family with the disposition of unused embryos that have created.

In addition it will be useful for recipients of vitrified frozen donor eggs if they create more embryos than they wish to transfer in that cycle.