Confirming You Have the Correct Embryo Before Transfer is Critical
David Kreiner, MD
I’ve been asked, “How do we know at RMA Long Island IVF that we are implanting the correct embryos?”.
At RMA Long Island IVF, we confirm the identity of gametes and embryos with double and sometimes triplicate forms of identification at each step in the process. These identification steps are witnessed from the collection of sperm and eggs through fertilization, embryo cell growth and loading of the embryos into the transfer catheter.
Before a specimen is accepted by the lab, the partner is identified with picture ID and the specimen cup is labeled with both partner and patient names. As a patient’s eggs are collected, they are placed in a dish labeled with the patient name and birthdate that are confirmed prior to retrieval after reviewing the ID bracelet and patient stating her name and date of birth. The fertilization and embryo dishes are likewise labeled.
Prior to implanting these embryos, the nurses, physician and embryologist ask the patients to say their names and birthdates out loud. They check the identification bracelet on the patients and the embryologist does a final double ID check on the embryo dish. It is only after everyone on the team has confirmed the correct identification of the patients match with the embryos that were tracked from their gamete origins will the patients’ embryos be implanted.