270 Quality in IVF Labs. From Acceptable to Exceptional. Drs. Michael Baker & Robert Mendola

Embryologists have a lot riding on the line.

Bad supplies can cause big problems. Good supplies can create big improvements.

Either way, success rates and patients’ lives hang in the balance. Every detail in the IVF lab matters.  “Good enough” can cost more than it saves, because only the highest standards protect consistency, outcomes and trust..   

We’re joined this week by two of the most respected leaders in embryology. Dr. Michael Baker, Lab Director at Aspire HFI, and Dr. Robert Mendola, Lab Director at CCRM and member of the network’s Innovation Advisory Board.

Together, they break down:

– The full chain of quality assurance, from suppliers to networks to individual lab

– The burden and importance of retesting lab materials

– Why labs should evaluate not just blastocyst formation but cell counts per blast

– The tension between cost control, standardization, and lab autonomy

– The suppliers and products that stand out for exceptional quality (including Vitrolife’s media and oils)

– Why transparency and competition should set the standard for lab supply quality (instead of regulation)