Sperm Cryopreservation

Corion works in close collaboration with its ART/sperm (Graces ART Services) bank to help patients avail of its various facilities.

Semen cryopreservation is recommended for:

• Patients who are planned to undergo any surgery that will cause permanent sterilization or genetic damage. Oncological and non-oncological patients who are going to receive treatment that is toxic to gonads
• Pre-Vasectomy Sperm Banking: Some fertile men wish to have a vasectomy, but still desire to keep the option open to father children prefer pre vasectomy sperm freezing
• Hazardous Occupation Fertility Preservation: Some men are engaged in high-risk occupations, which involve exposure to radiation, dangerous chemicals, or physical harm
• Certain occupations may force male partners to be away from their partners for long business trips & are thus not available during fertile periods. Artificial insemination using cryopreserved semen allows such couples a chance to follow their desired plan

Patients coming in for freezing are recommended between 2 – 5 days but not more than 5 days of abstinence. They are advised to undergo initial infectious disease screening tests like HIV I-II, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B surface antigen & VDRL. They are also requested to provide a semen sample that is sent to the pathological laboratory for analysis & culture. Semen cryopreservation is scheduled once the reports are received by the clinic.

For cryopreservation, semen sample is checked for count & motility. Depending upon these parameters, sample is washed by either swim-up, gradient centrifugation or wash technique. Cryoprotectant is added to the washed semen to control sperm damage caused by freezing & thawing. The semen sample is then divided into one or more vials depending on the number of motile sperms. Embryologists carefully label each vial permanently with patient’s full name & date of cryopreservation. Individual cryo-vials are then placed carefully into liquid nitrogen vapour for 30 minutes, and later plunged into liquid nitrogen in secure tanks at a temperature of -196° C ( -371° F ). At this temperature all metabolic activity of sperms is arrested. Semen can thus be preserved for many years. The liquid nitrogen is independent of any source of power and is regularly checked and replenished.

Through our sperm Cryopreservation Program we are also able to help couples requiring Donor Inseminations. The Sperm bank maintains samples with various demographic backgrounds. The Semen Donors have all been counseled & investigated thoroughly. All the Semen Donors are subjected to screening tests as mentioned above. Their samples are all quarantined for 6 months prior to release for IUI/IVF to confirm it is free from infectious diseases.

To avail to our Semen Cryopreservation Services or Donor Insemination Services, kindly write to lab@corionfertilityclinic.com