01/15/2009

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 15, 2009) – Dr. Craig Sweet of Specialists in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery will be a guest speaker on Luis Hernandez' radio program on January 28, at noon on WGCU-FM 90.1. Topics to be addressed will include the frequency at which embryos are abandoned, what a medical practice can do to encourage the donation of embryos and the how these problems can be avoided.Many patients undergoing In Vitro Fertilization have excess embryos that are cryopreserved for future use. Common options for cryopreserved embryos, as set forth by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), include:1) use of the embryos by the couple themselves2) donation of the embryos anonymously to infertile couples or individuals3) donation of the embryos to scientific research such as stem cell research4) discarding of the embryos.Unfortunately, some of the couples simply abandon their embryos by not paying for their continued cryopreservation or by not keeping their doctor's office informed of their location and designation for the remaining embryos.To educate couples on alternate options regarding their excess embryos, Specialists in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery strongly encourages them to explore alternatives, such as donating them for stem cell research at Harvard Medical School or donating them to couples who cannot conceive on their own.Additional call-in guests on the radio program will include an infertile couple who has received donated embryos, a couple who has donated their cryospreserved embryos anonymously and an attorney who assisted Sweet with locating patients who abandoned their embryos.Specialists in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery is a reproductive endocrinology & infertility practice open since 1991. Dr. Sweet is board certified in both the specialty of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the subspecialty of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is a member and former Chairman of the Lee Memorial Health System HealthPark Ethics Consultation Group and currently serves on the Lee County Medical Society Board of Governors. For more information, call (239) 275-8118 or visit www.DreamABaby.com.