The most reproductive age for a woman is around her 20s. Today, about 40 to 50 percent of women in this reproductive age group are childless. This is mainly due to the fact that couples are more focused on their careers or worried about their financial limitations, or simply not ready or wanting to start a family at this point in their lives - which is perfectly normal. Unfortunately, however, a woman's biological clock is out of step with modern times, resulting in a series of challenges when starting a family. A relatively new development in reproductive medicine allows a woman to cryopreserve, or freeze, her eggs in her early reproductive years and use those eggs to have a baby when she is ready and wants one in the future. Women are increasingly choosing egg cryopreservation as a method of preserving or delaying their fertility. Today, more than 3000 babies have been born worldwide using frozen eggs.

What is egg cryopreservation?

Egg cryopreservation, also known as egg freezing, is a procedure in which a woman's eggs are extracted, frozen, and stored for future use. The treatment cycle is similar to that of an IVF procedure, starting with ovarian stimulation, where medications containing follicle-stimulating hormone are given as an injection for about 10 to 12 days. Once the eggs are ready, they are retrieved through a process known as egg harvesting or the "egg retrieval" process. During this procedure the eggs are removed with a needle placed through the vagina with the help of an ultrasound machine. The candidate is given intravenous sedation, which makes the procedure fairly painless. The retrieved eggs are then evaluated in the clinical laboratory and frozen in cryoprotectants. Cryoprotectant is a mixture of solvents that protect delicate eggs from intracellular ice formation during the freezing process - the formation of ice crystals within the egg's cellular structure can damage the membranes and rupture the cell. When the woman is ready to use the eggs, they are thawed and fertilized with a single sperm in an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and transferred back into the uterus as an embryo to achieve pregnancy.

Who should consider cryopreservation?

Egg cryopreservation can prove extremely beneficial for women who have been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing some type of oncology treatment such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy. When the woman successfully completes her treatment, these frozen eggs can be used to have a baby with the help of IVF/ICSI treatment. For patients who have had a hysterectomy or other surgeries that do not allow them to carry out a natural pregnancy, the same oocytes can be used together with a donor's or partner's sperm to achieve a pregnancy through a surrogate. Women who do not have a relationship or are in a situation that is not conducive to childbearing, can also choose egg cryopreservation. This allows them to “buy time” and choose when they would like to start a family. In any case, it is important for a woman considering this option to freeze her eggs at a time when they are still viable in order to improve her chances of becoming pregnant. Egg freezing should be considered as an option and not as a certainty of future fertility. Many women who choose elective egg freezing may never use it, as they could conceive naturally. However, it certainly provides a security and certainty to those who want to postpone motherhood for financial, psychological or any other reasons. To learn more about egg cryopreservation, contact the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Embryo Medicine – Dr. Alexander Trajan for a consultation. We will be happy to hear from you!