The Cryostorage Knowledge Gap: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Review of Cryopreservation Services Throughout U.S. Ivf Clinics

Objective: To survey U.S. IVF clinic websites and evaluate information about cryopreservation and cryostorage services. Design: A web-based, cross-sectional retrospective review and detailed descriptive analysis of the U.S. IVF clinic websites for cryopreservation and cryostorage information. Materials and Methods: Active websites were obtained from the SART clinic database by using the “Find a Clinic” search function, with “cryopreservation” and “cryostorage” as primary keywords of interest. Websites were classified as either having the presence or absence of information about cryopreservation procedures (e.g., slow freezing and vitrification). Websites with cryopreservation or cryostorage information were evaluated with more depth for secondary inclusion criteria terms such as “storage/stored/storing” at/in “-196 °C,” “-300 °F,” “liquid nitrogen,” “liquid nitrogen tanks,” and “cryopreservation tanks.” Results: Of the 314 U.S. IVF Websites reviewed, 70 (22%) were affiliated with university medical centers or hospitals (academic/hospital) and 244 (78%) were private. In total, 82% (n = 257) of the websites mentioned cryopreservation with only 31% (n = 80) offering education about cryostorage technology. Only 64% of the academic/hospital websites educated patients about cryopreservation compared to 87% of the private websites. However, there was no significant difference between both types of websites when educating patients about cryostorage (31% of the academic/hospital and 28% of the private websites). Conclusions: Although the majority of U.S. IVF clinic websites informed patients of the availability of cryopreservation and cryostorage, there remains an opportunity to share deeper learning on these topics. We advise centers to close the cryostorage knowledge gap by including adding more robust information on clinical websites about vitrification techniques, tissue handling, and long-term cryostorage services. Financial Support: Funding was provided by TMRW Life Sciences.