Frozen eggs could be damaged due to liquid failure at London clinic

More than 100 patients who had their eggs and embryos frozen at a major clinic are said to have suffered possible damage due to a flaw in the freezing process.

The practice, based at Guy’s Hospital in London, said it may have unknowingly used bottles of defective freezing solution in September and October 2022.

However, he said he did not know at the time that the liquid was defective.

One patient at a second clinic in Sheffield, Jessop Fertility, has also been affected, the BBC has revealed.

The infertility industry regulator, the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA), said it believed the defective batch was only distributed to these two clinics.

Embryos are routinely frozen after an IVF cycle, either to delay treatment for medical reasons or to give couples the option of further treatment in the future.

It is believed that many of the affected patients had their eggs or embryos frozen and subsequently underwent cancer treatment, which may have made them infertile. This means they may not be able to get pregnant with their own eggs.

Around 136 patients at Guy’s Hospital were only recently told that their eggs and embryos may not survive the thawing process if frozen in the defective solution, but the hospital warned a year ago I received a notification.

Guy Hospital’s fertility department is currently under investigation by the HFEA due to delays in providing information to those affected.

One patient who was told her fetus may have been damaged told the BBC: “This is a very uncomfortable process for people and for those lucky enough to have put something in the freezer after all the trouble. That’s a concern,” he said.

Another of Guy’s patients, who was told her frozen embryos might have been damaged, said she and her partner “would have made a different decision if we had known in advance.”

“I was putting in a single embryo. I probably would have been putting in a double,” she said.

“And I would have sought compensatory IVF. I probably would have done another round of IVF to save up a little more.” [eggs], because I’m 43 now, so I would have been 41 then. ”

Sarah Norcross, director of the charity Progress Education Trust, said it would be “devastating” for those affected.

“If the women affected by this incident had undergone fertility-impairing treatments, they may have lost the chance to have a biologically related child.

“If the women affected by this incident were trying to expand their reproductive options by freezing their eggs, and if their egg quality deteriorated over time, they would also be able to start a family. We may have missed the best opportunity.”

Guy’s Hospital apologized to those affected and said part of the delay was due to “the manufacturer’s uncertainty as to which lots were affected”.

The BBC contacted Cooper Surgical, the manufacturer of the solution, and was told the company had “no comment”.

In February 2023, the U.S. company issued an emergency safety notice regarding the liquid, stating that one “lot” of the product “may have contained a vial with an incorrect label” and that “there is no possibility of containing eggs or embryos.” “It may affect survival rates.” The group said the badges were sent to both Guy’s Hospital and Jessop Fertility, which is run by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The HFEA said its investigation at Guy’s Hospital ACU was “ongoing”, adding that “further action as necessary” would be taken.

A spokesperson for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said: “While we were not aware of any potential problems at the time we froze the eggs or embryos, this manufacturing issue has led to the failure of frozen eggs and embryos to occur during thawing. “This could have a negative impact on the embryo’s chances of survival.”

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has been approached for comment.

Both clinics said they have already contacted all potentially affected patients.

The HFEA said patients at other clinics did not need to worry about the issue and said it hoped this would provide “reassurance to all involved”. However, anyone concerned about this incident should contact the clinic.

Fertility treatment in the UK is generally very safe, the HFEA said.

Recent HFEA data shows that of the approximately 100,000 processing and storage cycles carried out in 2022/23, more than 99% were carried out without incident.