Establishment of a successful donor embryo program: medical, ethical, and policy issues.

Objective: To determine how couples prefer to dispose of their extra embryos and to establish a donor embryo program for the treatment of infertile couples.

Methods: Cohort study. Methods: University-based IVF program. Methods: Patients (n = 365) with cryopreserved embryos in storage for >2 years and eight patients who desired donated embryos for transfer. Methods: An IVF ethics committee was formed to discuss the ethical and policy issues involved in starting an embryo donation program and to establish program guidelines. Couples with embryos cryopreserved for > or = 2 years were contacted to determine their desires for disposition of embryos. Potential recipients of donated embryos were identified in our clinic, and donated embryos were transferred to these patients. Methods: Desires for embryo disposition and pregnancy rates.

Results: Most couples elected either to continue storage of their embryos for future use (44%) or to discard their embryos (34%). A minority elected to donate their embryos either to infertile couples (11%) or for research (10%). Eight couples have had donated embryos transferred, and four have conceived ongoing pregnancies.

Conclusions: Although only a small percentage of couples are willing to donate their embryos, the resulting number of embryos for use is substantial. Transfer of donated embryos results in a high pregnancy rate and is a cost-effective treatment of infertility.