Cryopreservation and Storage of Reproductive Tissues: Good Practice Guidelines

Cryopreservation of sperm, embryos, and more recently oocytes are considered standard practice in IVF laboratories in the US. Typically, these reproductive tissues are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks. Recent methods of rapid cooling and warming via vitrification have facilitated the cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos, specifically blastocysts following biopsy for cytogenetic testing and freeze-all. These technical advances in vitrification and paradigm shift to frozen-thawed embryo transfers of euploid embryos have led to an exponential increase in the volume of cryopreserved embryos in the US, most of which is stored on-site within IVF laboratories. Embryologists are responsible for not only the laboratory procedures, but also for managing an on-site biorepository of patient reproductive tissues. Professional guidances, state and local laws, and best practices inform this chapter, which aims to provide the practitioner with cryo-storage protocols that are focused on safety, reliability, and robust documentation.