Egg freezing, sometimes referred to as mature oocyte cryopreservation, is a procedure used to preserve a woman’s capacity to conceive in the future. Unfertilized eggs retrieved from your ovaries are frozen and kept for future use. A frozen egg may be thawed in a laboratory, mixed with sperm, and placed in the uterus (in vitro fertilization).
Egg freezing is a safe and helpful procedure especially for women who are not planning for pregnancy currently but want to be sure about their ability to conceive in the future or have a biological child. The egg freezing procedure does not need a male partner or even a sperm donor as is required in embryo cryopreservation (freezing of the fertilized eggs) because in Egg freezing the eggs which are stored are unfertilized before being frozen. However, similar to embryo freezing, the woman will need to induce ovulation with the help of fertility drugs. This helps to produce a number of eggs at the time of retrieval.
A woman might consider the method of Egg freezing in the following cases:
- If a woman is diagnosed with cancer and is required to undergo treatment for cancer. This is because some cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy or radiation, have the potential to impair a woman’s fertility. As a result, egg freezing prior to cancer treatment enables the lady to birth biological children in the future.
- If a woman is having in vitro fertilization and the male partner does not generate a enough number of sperms on the day the woman recovers the eggs, the best alternative is egg freezing.
What happens when you freeze your eggs?
- After a lady makes the decision to freeze her eggs, the procedure takes a few weeks.
- It begins with a consultation with a fertility doctor, who explains how a series of hormone injections would stimulate the maturation of numerous eggs in the woman’s ovaries. During follow-up appointments, medical professionals will use ultrasonography to check the ovaries and eggs.
- When the time comes to gather the eggs, a woman has a single operation that lasts around 15 to 20 minutes while she is sedated. Dr. Flyckt adds that the procedure is performed vaginally with the use of a small needle inserted into the ovary to gather the eggs. It is not unpleasant, and she returns home the following day.
- The retrieved eggs (amounts vary, but are typically between 10 and 12 eggs) are then frozen and preserved forever. Women may choose for numerous egg collection rounds if they want to save more eggs in order to boost their chances of conception later.
- Dr. Flyckt notes that the majority of women do not return to utilise their stored eggs. In this situation, the eggs may be frozen and discarded, or they can be given to research or a different couple.
- If a woman later decides to utilise her eggs, they are frozen and fertilised with sperm from a partner or donor to form an embryo.
- Dr. Flyckt explains that the embryo grows in a laboratory for five or six days before being placed into the woman’s uterus through a small operation similar to a pap smear.
- However, it is possible that not all of the eggs will survive the thawing procedure. Others will be fertile but will not fertilize. Others fertilize improperly, while others do not “take” in the uterus of a woman.
- Each egg that a woman freeze is expected to have a 4.5 percent to 12 percent chance of producing a baby eventually.
How much does egg freezing cost?
- While certain insurance policies may cover medical or elective egg freezing, Dr. Flyckt says that this is not always the case and the procedure must be paid for out-of-pocket.
- Typically, it costs between $10,000 and $12,000. This covers all testing, blood work, ultrasounds, and the operation – everything except the yearly storage charge and the follow-up process for women who use their eggs.
PROS
- Egg freezing is also beneficial for women undergoing cancer treatment. For instance, in treatments for diseases such as cancer, radiation, and chemotherapy, which can jeopardise a woman’s fertility by inadvertently damaging or destroying the woman’s eggs as part of the cancer treatment, preserving eggs prior to treatment can allow women to delay pregnancy until they have fully recovered.
- Endometriosis-affected women: When surgical ovary removal is necessary, fertility preservation may provide you with the opportunity to establish a biological connection to a future child.
- Women who choose to postpone childbearing in order to pursue educational, professional, or other personal objectives: Due to the fact that the biological clock ticks and fertility declines with age, freezing your eggs at an early reproductive age will increase your chances of future conception. In contrast to the ovary and oocytes (eggs), the uterus does not age and may carry a pregnancy far into one’s forties and fifties.
- Early menopause in the family: Certain types of early menopause (premature ovarian failure) have a hereditary component. Egg freezing allows for the preservation of eggs before they are completely exhausted, providing a glimpse of hope for such women.
- Chronic conditions: Women with autoimmune diseases such as SLE and those having bone marrow transplantation for whatever cause, such as thalassemia, would be prescribed immunosuppressants. In these circumstances, egg freezing might benefit the ladies, allowing them to begin pregnancy when it is medically possible.
- Additionally, egg freezing allows single women the time they need to choose the perfect spouse with whom to raise their children, since they are not rushed to settle down.
Cons of egg freezing
- While the surgical technique is generally safe, the hormone injections include a risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, or OHSS. Occasionally, women react too violently to the hormone injections, resulting in nausea, vomiting, and stomach discomfort that is transient and resolves within a few of days. This is a remote possibility, and the preventative measures in place are efficient in preventing the development of OHSS. Additionally, it may result in mood changes and bloating.
- With fertility freezing, one must also maintain a healthy lifestyle. Simply having frozen eggs does not ensure a probability of conception. Additionally, a person must attempt to live a balanced lifestyle and see a doctor on a regular basis to avoid developing additional lifestyle-related issues or diseases. These health problems might include diabetes, fibroids, hypertension, and endometriosis.
- Comes at a price: Because egg freezing is a long operation that needs a state-of-the-art laboratory and a competent fertility specialist, the cost of undertaking the treatment may be rather high. It is advisable to familiarize yourself with the associated expenses before proceeding with the choice.
Egg freezing method does carry some risks, as mentioned below.
Conditions related with the use of fertility medicines – In rare instances, injectable fertility treatments such as HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) used to promote ovulation might cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The ovaries become sore and enlarged shortly after egg retrieval or ovulation in this disease. Additional indications and symptoms of the illness may include those listed above.
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pains
- Bloating
People Also Search: –
What are the disadvantages of freezing your eggs?
- However, not all eggs will survive the thawing operation. Others will be fertile but without the ability to fertilize. Others fertilize incorrectly, while others do not “take” in a woman’s uterus. Each egg that a woman freeze is predicted to have a 4.5 percent to 12% probability of ultimately resulting in a baby.
Is egg freezing a good idea?
- Cryopreserved eggs will be of superior quality than eggs recovered ten or more years later. These “younger” stored eggs will be more fertile, will form better embryos, and will result in clinical pregnancy and live delivery.
At what age should you freeze your eggs?
- There is no ideal age for freezing eggs — but there are better ones. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends freezing your eggs in your 20s and early 30s, when you have a greater ovarian reserve (the quantity of eggs in your ovaries) and better eggs.
Is it better to freeze eggs or do IVF?
- Freezing eggs rather than utilizing them immediately has been demonstrated to have no effect on their quality or likelihood of pregnancy—studies have shown that continuing pregnancy rates are about same between frozen and “fresh” eggs, supporting frozen eggs’ “noninferiority.”
