Transport of embryos, ovules and frozen semen to another center

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Just as those embryos left over from IVF-ICSI treatments are frozen, it is possible to freeze semen and ovules to preserve fertility. All these samples remain stored in nitrogen tanks in an assisted reproduction center, but what happens if you change your city of residence or want to change centers? Can you move to another clinic?

Below you have an index with all the points that we will discuss in this article.

Index

Transport of embryos, ovules and frozen semen to another center

What does the law say?

The Spanish legislation establishes in the Law 14/2006 of Techniques of Assisted Reproduction that the reproductive center keeps the samples, but that the woman, man or couple are responsible for their gametes (ovules or sperm) and frozen embryos. Therefore, they can be transferred to another center and this transfer can not be denied.

There is no agreed protocol for action, but transportation can not be done by the patients themselves, only by specialized personnel. It must be an authorized and certified transport company for the transport of biological material that is responsible for the shipment. In case the distance is short, the personnel of the center of origin can take the container.

In any case, it will be made in an appropriate container for the transfer and the safety and traceability must be guaranteed, that is, it must be possible to locate and identify the samples during the different steps.



How to do embryo transfer?

To be able to move the frozen embryos to another clinic there are a series of steps to follow:

  • Patients must send a written transfer request to the center where the embryos are stored.
  • Subsequently, they must contact the destination center to provide them with the information and material necessary for the transfer.
  • Next, they must sign the authorization for the transport, the transfer of the custody and the transfer of personal information, about the embryos and details of the particular case to guarantee the protection of data.
  • Transport of the embryos in a special container of liquid nitrogen, labeled and with the necessary documentation. Said container must be in optimal conditions to guarantee the maintenance of temperature and nitrogen levels.
  • The destination center must issue an acknowledgment of receipt to the center of origin.

If the embryos are shipped to another country, it is essential to ask the Ministry of Health for an export authorization. It is usually resolved within 2-3 weeks, although the procedures can be extended up to two months.

It is important to bear in mind that the transfer of embryos is not allowed for use in surrogate gestation, since it is a reproductive technique not allowed in Spain. They can only be used for their own use. You can find information about it in this article: Transport of embryos to another country for surrogate pregnancy.

During the transfer, either nationally or internationally, a transfer of the custody of the embryos is carried out, that is, responsibility for them. This means that the center of origin, after verifying that the container and the samples are in adequate conditions and with the documentation in order, ceases to have responsibility for them. The transport company will be responsible for the embryos after signing the reception and, therefore, for any event that takes place until they are delivered to the destination center.

Once the carrier delivers the container to the center and receives the acceptance signature, the destination clinic will be responsible for the embryos. The laboratory staff must check that the embryos are correctly and that there has been no damage during transport. Once this is done, they can move from the transport bottle to the embryo bank in the center, where they will be stored until they are transferred to the patient's uterus.

Transfer of embryos to another clinic

Is the transport of ovules and sperm the same?

The transport of ovules and semen is not different from the one explained for the embryos. It is also essential that it be done by specialized personnel, in a special container, perfectly labeled and with the documentation in order, as well as with the transfer of custody.

The only difference that there may be is at the level of the container used:

  • Liquid nitrogen cylinder: for the transport of ovules, embryos and also of semen.
  • Container with dry ice or dry ice: it is carbon dioxide in the solid state. It can only be used to transport frozen semen.

However, it is preferable to use a liquid nitrogen bottle to also transport the semen samples, since there is better control of the temperature and for a longer time.

Questions from users

Does transporting embryos to another center carry any risk?

Embryos, ovules and sperm are very sensitive biological samples. The transfer involves removing them from the bank where they are frozen in the clinic, entering them in the transport container and finally passing them from said container to the bank of the destination center. This transfer from one recipient to another can reduce their survival.

On the other hand, it could happen that liquid nitrogen is lost during transport. This would suppose the rise of temperature and therefore its survival could be affected.

Therefore, it must be borne in mind that during transport the samples could be damaged despite all the measures that are carried out to prevent this from happening.

Can I take the frozen embryos with me?

No, Spanish legislation does not allow transportation by unauthorized personnel. It must be done by a certified and authorized transport company for the transfer of biological samples or, if the distance is very short, the personnel of the center of origin directly to the destination center.

What happens if the contents of the cylinder have been damaged in the transport?

In the event that upon arrival at the destination center it is verified that there is any deterioration of the biological material or the transport bottle, the problem should be recorded in writing. The person responsible for any event that occurs during the shipment is the carrier or the company in charge, so civil liability should be requested.


surrogate pregnancy in Barcelona(Spain)

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