Many couples in California that struggle with fertility turn to in vitro fertilization, or IVF, treatments. The IVF process is long, difficult and expensive, so it can be devastating for couples when it doesn’t work out. In some cases, IVF treatments are unsuccessful due to negligence on the part of the IVF clinic.
Lab mistake destroys embryos
One couple in Washington suffered a particularly difficult loss that was caused by a mistake at a fertility clinic. Two days after they had received news that they had seven viable embryos, the couple was told that their embryos had been destroyed.
The IVF clinic malpractice occurred when lab technicians failed to put oil into the petri dish that contained the couple’s embryos. Without the necessary oil, the embryos dried out and died.
Physically and emotionally draining
The Washington couple has said that their experience with IVF clinic malpractice has left them traumatized. Although they still want to have children, they are reluctant to undergo another round of IVF because they fear that the same thing will happen again. The couple has filed a lawsuit against CNY Fertility for breach of contract, negligence and lack of informed consent.
How common is IVF clinic malpractice?
There are almost 500 IVF clinics operating in the U.S., but the fertility industry is still largely unregulated. Since there are no industry-wide rules or professional guidelines in the fertility industry, each fertility center does things a little differently. Errors in labeling at IVF labs can lead to devastating mistakes.
The law firm that is representing the Washington couple says that it has already represented hundreds of fertility center misconduct claims. In some cases, fertilized eggs have been mixed up and implanted into the wrong mothers. Since there is a lack of regulation, the exact number of mistakes that happen at IVF clinics is unknown.