Is embryo freezing done with vitrification?

After fertilisation and assessment, an embryo selected for storage is placed in a protective solution and cooled very quickly. This rapid cooling limits the formation of ice crystals that could damage cells. The embryo is then stored in a cryogenic tank until the fertility team and patient decide whether it may be used in a future transfer. Vitrification is a freezing technique, not a change to the embryo’s genetic material.

Ask how embryos are assessed before freezing, how they are labelled and tracked, and what consent is needed for storage. Your clinic can explain its thawing process and how it checks whether an embryo has survived warming before transfer. Keep your contact details and consent decisions current so the storage team can reach you when decisions are needed.

Contact the clinic promptly if you have severe pain, heavy bleeding, fever, faintness, or shortness of breath after an egg-collection or transfer procedure. Those symptoms are not caused by the freezing tank itself, but they can signal a complication from the fertility treatment around it. For storage questions, contact the clinic rather than changing consent or collection arrangements on your own.

Which embryos are suitable for vitrification? How will they be identified and stored? What happens during warming, and when will you know whether an embryo can be transferred?