The Clinic Our Staff Our Services Aims of ART Privacy Statement Individualised Care Ovulation Disorders Tubal Blockage Uterine Causes Cervical Mucus Hostility Male Factor Infertility Endometriosis Unexplained Infertility IVF         GIFT        IUI             PESA and TESA     ICSI           Frozen Embryos Unexplained Infertility Support Group         Counselling      Sperm                Eggs           Embryo             Fequently Asked Questions How long can my sperm or embryos be stored for? Because of the strict guidelines set by the ITA ( which regulates the practices of all ART clinics in Victoria) gametes (ie. eggs and sperm) can be stored for a maximum of 10 years. Embryos can be kept in storage for a maximum of 5 years from the date of freezing. However, the storage period may be extended but it requires an application by the patients to the ITA. This can be discussed with co-ordinators of Ballarat IVF. Can freezing damage my embryos? Yes. It is possible for embryos to damaged despite our best efforts when freezing and thawing them. This is because embryo cells contain water which expands as it freezes. Highly specialised laboratory techniques are used to minimise the risks, but damage to individual cells within an embryo can occur. Some embryos when examined after the thawing process are not able to be used for transfer. The first baby to be born from a frozen embryo replacement cycle took place in Australia in 1984. The embryo was frozen with 8 cells and upon thawing, lost 2 cells. Considering the transferred embryo contained 6 live cells, evidently it was still capable of developing into a normal baby. We at Ballarat IVF view that any thawed embryo that even has only one cell intact, has the potential to establish a pregnancy. Overall, the likelihood of a pregnancy will depend on how the embryo will survive. If an embryo survives with all cells intact, it will have a better chance for pregnancy than an embryo that loses half of its cells. Embryos with less than half of their original cells remaining will have significantly lower chances of surviving.