In light of recent and extremely unfortunate and unusual news about two egg and embryo tank failures at a center in San Francisco and one in Cleveland, several media outlets turned to SGF Medical Director, Dr. Eric Widra for perspective. With Shady Grove Fertility being the largest fertility center in the nation, Dr. Widra was asked to respond to the news and discuss our own laboratory protocols to help put these incidents in better context.
“These should be very rare events that occur at all based on the type of technologies we use to store this material,” said Dr. Widra on Baltimore’s WBAL.
Dr. Widra likened the risk of major tank failure to that of being struck by lightning, as noted by Today.com
SGF’s Laboratory Protocols
Dr. Widra explained the safeguards employed with Shady Grove Fertility’s tanks are connected to alarms that should prevent the potentially tragic mishaps, “If the alarm senses a change in temperature or the communication doesn’t occur, multiple laboratory personnel’s phones go off to tell them that something is going on with whatever tank it is,” adds Widra.
Dr. Widra said the FDA visits and asks questions about tank monitoring at least once a month at Shady Grove Fertility. “The standards for maintaining this equipment are rather simple and transparent and subject to regulatory oversight,” says Widra.
In the interview with Washington Bureau, Widra commented that “SGF already answers to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state tissue banks, and professional societies to ensure the safety of our laboratories.”
Dr. Widra addressed the patient community in a message on the homepage of the SGF website to reassure everyone that the safety of our patients and the material they entrust to our care are our highest priorities and that our laboratory protocols ensure the safety of the frozen gametes stored and used at our practice.
Quality Standards of Laboratory Care
At Shady Grove Fertility, we take all appropriate preventive safety precautions for frozen embryos and eggs to preserve and protect them so that they are available to you when you decide to start or grow your family.
Shady Grove Fertility has been a part of many nationwide protocol changes to better ensure the safety of all of the frozen eggs and embryos stored and used here. Should a known, highly-damaging event be predicted to take place, we have partners further in-land who would safely house all of our patients’ eggs and embryos should it be needed. Luckily, this hasn’t happened in our 26 year history. Our first route of protection would be at one of our four laboratories located in Towson, MD; Rockville, MD; Chesterbrook PA; or Fairfax, VA.
To schedule a new patient appointment with a physician, please contact the New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755 or complete our brief online form.
