What to Do With Leftover Embryos After IVF

Leftover embryos, sometimes called unused, extra, or surplus embryos, are the embryos that remain frozen after a family finishes IVF or decides not to use them for another transfer. Many families keep them in storage for years because the decision carries emotional, ethical, and financial weight,⁶ and some eventually donate them to another family through embryo donation at Donor Nexus. If you're facing that decision now, you have more choices than a simple keep-or-discard question suggests. This guide compares each option, explains how long embryos can stay frozen and what storage costs, and shows how donating to another family works.

There isn't a single right answer, and families with similar histories often choose differently. What helps most is knowing what each option involves, which ones your clinic offers, and which choices can't be reversed, so you can decide at a pace that feels manageable.

What can you do with leftover embryos after IVF?

You have six main options for leftover or unused frozen embryos: keep them for a future transfer, continue storage while you decide, donate them to another family, donate them to research, have them thawed and discarded, or ask about compassionate transfer. Availability depends on your clinic and, for some options, on your state and the consent forms you signed.

Common disposition options for leftover embryos. Ask your clinic which options it offers and what each costs under your storage agreement.

What is compassionate transfer?

With compassionate transfer, a physician places your embryos in your body at a point in your cycle, or in a location, where pregnancy isn't expected. In its 2026 opinion, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Ethics Committee treats these requests as a matter of personal values and concludes that a physician may agree to them or turn them down, provided the decision isn't discriminatory or biased.⁸ Some families choose it because it offers a sense of closure that feels more personal than disposal in the lab. A 2010 multi-clinic survey that asked patients about this option, along with a disposal ceremony, concluded that many patients want choices their clinics don't offer or find the standard options unacceptable.⁹

Can you donate embryos to research?

You can donate embryos to research if your clinic works with an approved research or training program, but availability varies widely. ASRM's 2020 position statement on embryo research says embryos should never be used in research without the prior written informed consent of the people whose eggs and sperm created them, and that people whose embryos were created to build a family shouldn't be offered payment as an incentive to give them to research.¹⁰

What happens when embryos are discarded?

When you choose to discard embryos, your clinic ends storage, thaws them, and disposes of them according to its medical standards, usually after you sign a disposition form. It is a final decision, and storage fees stop, although some clinics charge an administrative fee. Some families find this choice emotionally difficult, so it can help to talk it through with a counselor first.

Why do leftover embryos lead to such painful choices?

When The New York Times reported on the growth of the fertility industry in 2015, its headline tied that growth to leftover embryos and painful choices.¹⁷ Deciding is hard because families weigh how they think about their embryos, their values, the number and quality of embryos left, and the information their clinic provides, and those factors often pull in different directions. In a qualitative interview study of 77 families with surplus frozen embryos in storage, almost two-thirds (63%) still had embryos in storage after 5 years, sometimes because partners disagreed or felt undecided and sometimes to keep future options open.⁶ The same study found that clinic support and detailed information about options helped families move toward a decision.⁶

A 2010 survey of 1,020 fertility patients at nine US clinics found that 54% were very likely to use their embryos for reproduction and 21% were very likely to donate them for research, while 7% or fewer were very likely to choose any other option.⁹ Among families who do fill out disposition forms, choices vary. At one university-based US clinic, 615 patients who submitted forms between 2000 and 2020 chose as follows:¹¹

Disposition choices among 615 patients who submitted embryo disposition forms at one university-based US clinic, January 2000 to February 2020. Source: Alexander et al., J Assist Reprod Genet 2020.¹¹

These results come from one clinic and from patients who had already decided to end storage, so they don't represent every family with embryos. They do show that research donation and discarding were far more common choices than donating to another family in that group.

How long can embryos stay frozen?

Embryos can stay frozen for decades. In the US, how long you can store them generally depends on your clinic's policies and your storage agreement. ASRM recommends that programs create and enforce written policies about unclaimed embryos, which is where many time-related rules come from.¹

Other countries set limits in law. In the United Kingdom, a law that took effect on 1 July 2022 lets people store eggs, sperm, and embryos for up to 55 years, provided they renew consent every 10 years.² In Australia, rules differ by state; in Western Australia, for example, embryos may be stored for 10 years, and extensions require approval from the state's Reproductive Technology Council.¹²

Several births show how long embryos can remain viable in storage. Molly Gibson was born in October 2020 from an embryo frozen in 1992.¹³ Twins Lydia and Timothy Ridgeway were born in 2022 from embryos frozen in 1992.¹⁴ In July 2025, Thaddeus Daniel Pierce was born from an embryo created in May 1994 that had been in storage for about 30 and a half years before it was transferred.³

Does storage time affect success?

The evidence is mixed. A 2024 single-center study from China, covering 36,665 vitrified-thawed embryo transfer cycles, found that storage longer than 5 years was associated with lower odds of live birth, with the effect seen in blastocysts rather than earlier-stage embryos.¹⁵ A 2024 meta-analysis of 16 studies found higher live birth rates when embryos were transferred within 12 months, but its authors cautioned that the reasons for delaying transfer, embryo quality, and handling could explain the difference.¹⁶ If you're thinking about using embryos that have been stored for many years, your fertility doctor can review what's known about your embryos.

What happens to unused embryos if no one claims them?

Unused embryos that go unclaimed are handled according to your clinic's written policy and the consent forms you signed. ASRM's 2021 opinion says embryos may be considered unclaimed after a reasonable period without contact and reasonable efforts to reach the patient, and that, without specific written instructions, unclaimed embryos may not be donated to others or used in research.¹ Keeping your address, phone number, and email current with your clinic helps protect your choices.

What is the annual storage fee for frozen embryos?

The annual storage fee for frozen embryos at US clinics typically runs from several hundred dollars to about $1,000, although your contract sets your price. CNY Fertility, for example, lists annual embryo storage at $600 and notes that storage nationally is often around $1,000 per year.⁴ A Los Angeles fertility clinic's cost guide lists a yearly fee of $500 to $1,000 for keeping eggs or embryos frozen.⁵

These are examples, not national averages from a formal survey, and fees can change over time. Check your storage agreement for the annual rate, the billing date, and what happens if a payment is missed. If you donate embryos through Donor Nexus, outstanding storage fees at your current clinic are among the costs we cover.

How can you decide what to do with extra embryos?

You can make a decision about extra or unused frozen embryos more manageable by gathering your paperwork, confirming which options your clinic offers, and talking through the choices with your partner and a counselor before you sign anything. These steps can help:

1. Find your storage agreement and disposition forms. Note your annual fee, renewal date, and what your clinic does if it can't reach you.
2. Decide whether you may use the embryos yourself. Talk with your fertility doctor about whether a future transfer fits your health and family plans.
3. Check any donor agreements. If donor eggs or sperm were used, read the original agreement before choosing donation or research.
4. Ask which options your clinic offers. Research donation and compassionate transfer aren't available everywhere, and fees differ.
5. Talk it through. A counselor who works with fertility patients can help you and your partner sort out values, disagreements, and grief.
6. Put your decision in writing. Sign the forms your clinic requires and keep a copy with your records.

What if your embryos were created with donor eggs or sperm?

If your embryos were created with donor eggs or sperm, check your original donor agreement before donating them to research or to another family, since some contracts require the donor's consent for uses beyond your own family building. ASRM's position on embryo research also calls for prior written informed consent from the people who provided the eggs and sperm.¹⁰

What does donating embryos to another family involve?

Donating embryos to another family means your embryos are profiled, listed, and moved to a clinic where intended parents can use them for a transfer. With Donor Nexus, you apply online, meet with our team, receive a complimentary consultation with a licensed marriage and family therapist, and choose open ID or nonidentified donation, all at no cost to you.⁷ Our guide on why families donate embryos and how the steps work covers the process in detail, and you can start on our donating embryos page.

What services do embryo donors receive?

Donor Nexus services for embryo donors come at no cost to you and include:

• A complimentary counseling consultation with a licensed marriage and family therapist, so you can talk through the decision before you commit.⁷
• Your choice of open ID or nonidentified donation, with your embryos handled according to the option you pick.⁷
• An embryo profile that lets intended parents learn about your embryos through our embryo donor database.
• Coverage of donation costs, including shipping your embryos to our partner clinic, outstanding storage fees, the clinic's administrative fee for releasing embryos, and any legal fees the donation requires.

Frequently asked questions about leftover embryos

What happens to unused embryos?

Unused embryos stay frozen in storage until the people who created them decide what to do with them: use them for a transfer, donate them to another family or to research, have them thawed and discarded, or request compassionate transfer. If a clinic can't reach you after reasonable efforts, it may treat the embryos as unclaimed and dispose of them under its written policy, but it can't donate them or use them for research without your written instructions.

Is compassionate transfer the same as discarding embryos?

No. Neither option is intended to lead to a pregnancy, but compassionate transfer involves a clinical procedure in which a physician places the embryos in your body when pregnancy isn't expected. Discarding happens in the lab after the embryos are thawed. Some families find the procedure more meaningful, and not every clinic offers it.

Can embryos be frozen too long to use?

Births from embryos stored for roughly 30 years show that long-stored embryos can still lead to a pregnancy. Some studies link longer storage with lower live birth odds, while others point to factors such as embryo quality. Your doctor can help you weigh what that research means for your embryos.

Do I have to keep paying storage fees while I decide?

In most cases, yes. Clinics bill storage on an annual or similar schedule for as long as embryos remain frozen, and your contract explains what happens if a payment is missed. If cost is part of your decision, ask your clinic about billing options and whether any fees end once you sign a disposition form.

Can a clinic dispose of embryos if it can't reach me?

A clinic may treat embryos as unclaimed after a reasonable period without contact, following its written policy and your consent forms. ASRM's ethics guidance says unclaimed embryos can't be donated to another family or used for research without your written instructions. Updating your contact details with the clinic helps you avoid that situation.

Do families get paid for donating embryos to research?

Generally, no. ASRM's position on embryo research says people donating embryos that were created to build a family shouldn't be paid as an incentive to make them available for research. Some research protocols may reimburse storage fees owed before donation, so ask the program what it covers.

If you're still sorting through your options, you don't have to decide everything at once. A good next step is to pull out your storage agreement and ask your clinic which options it offers. If donating to another family is on your list, our team can answer questions at info@donornexus.com or +1 (949) 433-5635, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific.

Sources

1. Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Disposition of unclaimed embryos: an Ethics Committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility. 2021;116(1):48-53. asrm.org.
2. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. New law comes into force giving greater flexibility for fertility patients. July 2022. hfea.gov.uk.
3. Hamzelou J. Exclusive: A record-breaking baby has been born from an embryo that's over 30 years old. MIT Technology Review. July 29, 2025. technologyreview.com.
4. CNY Fertility. Embryo freezing cost analysis: CNY vs. national average. July 2026. cnyfertility.com.
5. Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles. Cost to freeze eggs: what you need to know. June 2022. pfcla.com.
6. Nachtigall RD, Mac Dougall K, Harrington J, Duff J, Lee M, Becker G. How couples who have undergone in vitro fertilization decide what to do with surplus frozen embryos. Fertility and Sterility. 2009;92(6):2094-2096. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.06.027.
7. Donor Nexus. Donate embryos to other couples or individuals. Accessed September 2026. donornexus.com/donating-embryos.
8. Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Compassionate transfer: patient requests for embryo transfer for nonreproductive purposes: an Ethics Committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility. 2026;125(3):411-415. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2025.12.013.
9. Lyerly AD, Steinhauser K, Voils C, et al. Fertility patients' views about frozen embryo disposition: results of a multi-institutional U.S. survey. Fertility and Sterility. 2010;93(2):499-509. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.10.015.
10. ASRM Ethics in Embryo Research Task Force and Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Ethics in embryo research: a position statement. Fertility and Sterility. 2020;113:270-294. asrm.org.
11. Alexander VM, Riley JK, Jungheim ES. Recent trends in embryo disposition choices made by patients following in vitro fertilization. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. 2020;37(11):2797-2804. doi:10.1007/s10815-020-01927-y.
12. Reproductive Technology Council (Western Australia). Embryo storage. Accessed September 2026. rtc.org.au.
13. NBC News. Baby born from 27-year-old donated embryo sets record. December 2020. nbcnews.com.
14. KGW8. Vancouver family welcomes twins born from embryos frozen 30 years ago. 2022. kgw.com.
15. Zhan S, Lin C, Lin Q, Gan J, Wang C, Luo Y, et al. Vitrification preservation of good-quality blastocysts for more than 5 years reduces implantation and live birth rates. Human Reproduction. 2024;39(9):1960-1968. doi:10.1093/humrep/deae150.
16. Zolfaroli I, Romeu Villarroya M, Serralta García LB, et al. Impact of prolonged embryo storage on reproductive and neonatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. 2024;41(10):2691-2700. doi:10.1007/s10815-024-03283-7.
17. Lewin T. Industry's growth leads to leftover embryos, and painful choices. The New York Times. June 2015. nytimes.com.

Related reading

Can You Sell Embryos? What to Know About Donating EmbryosWhat the law and professional guidelines say, what donating costs, and the steps to donate.Read the guideOpen ID vs. Nonidentified Embryo DonationHow much contact and information each option allows for donating and receiving families.Read the guideDonating Embryos With Donor NexusApply to donate your embryos to another family, with no cost to you and a complimentary therapist consultation.Visit the page