Sperm/Andrology Lab: Cryopreservation

Cryopreservation is a technique whereby the lab freezes sperm for future use. The potential utility of cryopreservation varies with the diverse situations encountered in our clinic practice.

Why to Choose Cryopreservation

Patients undergoing fertility treatment or facing difficulties with scheduling and out-of-town travel may find this useful as a backup specimen or to allow their partners to continue treatment in their absence.

Patients with poor results on their semen studies may also benefit from having specimens in reserve.

Another common use of cryopreservation is for men who are undergoing treatment for tumors requiring surgical removal of the testis, radiation to the groin, or chemotherapy. Cryopreserved specimen gives the individual an option for future inseminations using stored sperm.

What to expect

1. You will need to schedule an appointment to have your specimen collected.
2. Prior to collecting you will need to discuss the process with someone in the division.
3. After being counseled, you will need to sign a consent form.
   • You remain the owner of the specimen.
   • Duke University agrees to be the custodian of the specimen.
   • We can not guarantee fertilization or viability of the sperm after thawing.
   • Though we feel there are no significant birth defects associated with frozen sperm there can be no guarantee.
   • The lab is not responsible for circumstances beyond their control (electrical failure, acts of nature such as hurricanes, equipment failure, etc).
   • Your fee's are your responsibility and are due at the time of collection and yearly every July.
   • These points are covered in more detail on the consent form which will be duplicated and given to you.
4. The number of collections will vary on your situation, results, and desires.
   • Each collection generally yields one to four vials.
   • Each collection will also result in a "post-thaw" vial which is used to assess the quality of that batch when it is thawed.
   • Each vial, assuming adequate results upon thawing, can be used for insemination or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
   • There is no magic number of vials to collect as each situation will vary. This can be discussed in more detail with the clinic provider.
5. The specimen will be stored as long as you like and can be transferred to another facility in the future (usually if people moved from the area and would not be able to return to Duke).
6. Radiation and chemotherapy may reduce or eliminate sperm. Different agents and targets of radiation will vary this impact.

It may be possible that your sperm counts return to normal after treatment, however, this will not be known until it is too late to collect a specimen for cryopreservation. In this instance it is wise to think of cryopreservation as a safety measure to protect your ability to attempt conception.