Egg Freezing

Egg Freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is a fertility preservation technique where a woman’s eggs (oocytes) are collected, frozen, and stored for future use. This allows women to preserve their fertility and potentially conceive at a later date when they are ready to start a family.

The Egg Freezing Process

• Ovarian Stimulation:

  • Before eggs can be retrieved, the ovaries must be hormonally stimulated to produce multiple mature eggs. This is done using fertility medications, usually over the course of 10 to 14 days, to encourage the growth and maturation of eggs. Monitoring via ultrasound and blood tests helps track the progress of ovarian stimulation and ensures the timing for egg retrieval is optimal.

• Egg Retrieval:

  • Once the eggs are mature, they are retrieved through a procedure known as transvaginal oocyte retrieval. This is a minimally invasive procedure where a needle is inserted through the vaginal wall into the ovaries to collect the eggs. It is done under light sedation and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.

• Egg Freezing:

  • After retrieval, the viable eggs are identified and frozen using a technique called vitrification. Vitrification is a rapid freezing process that prevents the formation of ice crystals, which could damage the eggs. The frozen eggs are then stored in liquid nitrogen at extremely low temperatures (-196°C) in a fertility clinic or cryobank.

• Storage:

  • The eggs can remain frozen for many years without significant loss of quality. When the woman is ready to use them, the eggs can be thawed and used in assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Once thawed, the eggs are fertilized with sperm in the laboratory, and the resulting embryos are transferred to the woman’s uterus.

Why Women Choose Egg Freezing

There are several reasons why women may opt for egg freezing:

• Delaying Motherhood: Women may choose to freeze their eggs to preserve their fertility for a later stage in life. This is common for women who wish to focus on their careers, education, or personal goals before starting a family.

• Medical Reasons: Women facing medical treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation for cancer, may freeze their eggs to preserve their fertility, as these treatments can harm the ovaries and reduce the chances of natural conception.

• Fertility Preservation for Health Concerns: Women with conditions such as endometriosis or those undergoing surgeries that might affect ovarian function may opt for egg freezing to safeguard their reproductive potential.

• Social Reasons: Egg freezing provides an option for women who are not yet in a position to conceive but wish to ensure their ability to have biological children in the future.