In today’s society many women are choosing to postpone childbearing until after they have completed their education, established their careers, and/or fulfilled whatever goals they may have set for themselves. For some women, however, this decision may later result in difficulties conceiving. Because a woman’s ovarian reserve begins to decrease in her 30s, trying to have children later in life may come with challenges that cannot always be overcome without assistance. To avoid being faced with the choice of either having a baby before they’re ready or having difficulties getting pregnant in the future, many women are turning to egg freezing as a solution to their family planning needs.
Who Benefits From Egg Freezing?
Early to Mid 20s
The best time for a woman to freeze her eggs is when she is in her early to mid 20s. This is the peak fertility period, during which a woman is likely to have a large selection of healthy eggs for freezing. The younger a woman is when she freezes her eggs, the better chance she has of them successfully fertilizing and resulting in pregnancy at a time that works best for her.Early-Stage Cancer
A woman can benefit from egg freezing if she has recently been diagnosed with early-stage cancer and is planning to undergo radiation or chemotherapy. These conventional cancer treatments can leave a woman infertile. However, a woman’s eggs can be frozen before treatment to ensure that healthy eggs will be available to use at a later date.Possible Ovarian Removal
Women with severe ovarian cysts or cancer may need to consider ovarian removal. The removal of the ovaries means that a woman will no longer be able to produce eggs naturally. If the uterus is left intact, we can use frozen eggs to achieve pregnancy when a woman is ready.Patient Testimonials
Dr. Saadat was able to harvest 17 eggs… 15 of which became healthy embryos. Since I had been over stimulated, Dr. Sadaat thought it was best to freeze the embryos and let my hormone level return to normal prior to performing the embryo transfer. One month later, he performed the frozen embryo transfer using three of our embryos. My husband was working quietly in his home office two weeks later when I came in and told him that he was going to be a daddy. Against seemingly overwhelming odds… we were successful on the first attempt! Today we have a beautiful, healthy two-month old baby girl. She is more than we ever could have hoped for.”
Egg Freezing Process
Egg Retrieval
You will be placed on fertility drugs, which stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. When the eggs are mature and ready for retrieval, a doctor will gently guide a needle attached to a catheter through the vaginal wall. You will be given IV sedation to help ease any discomfort. Using ultrasound guidance, we locate each follicle and draw fluid into a test tube to retrieve your eggs. The procedure only lasts about 15 minutes. The eggs are then identified with your name and a unique number and given to the embryologist, who is specially trained in cryopreservation.
Treatment With Cryoprotectant
We treat your eggs with cryoprotectant before they are frozen. We will add the necessary cryoprotectant until it reaches the proper concentration. This process ensures the protection of your eggs while they are frozen.
Egg Freezing and Storage
Your eggs are frozen using a process known as vitrification, the newest method of “flash freezing.” This process is closely monitored to preserve the health of your eggs. When your eggs have reached a temperature of negative 196 degrees Celsius, they are placed in liquid nitrogen. This cold state preserves the functionality of the eggs for years.
Egg Fertilization
When you are ready to have children, we will thaw some or all of your eggs. Once they are thawed, we will then use a technique known as ICSI that helps improve the chances of fertilization. When the fertilized eggs have developed into multi-cell embryos, a catheter is used to place one or more embryos into the uterus, which will hopefully result in pregnancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
The older you are at the time of freezing your eggs, the more factors that can affect the viability and competence of the eggs. Additionally, a woman’s age can affect the success of the cryopreservation process. Our double board-certified fertility doctor will discuss your best fertility options during your consultation.
ICSI is a process where a single sperm is injected directly into the egg to achieve fertilization. This process is used during an IVF cycle to increase the chances of fertilization.
No. This decision is based on a number of factors. By choosing to transfer a single embryo, you are giving yourself the best possible chance for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. Our goal at RFC is to help patients deliver one healthy baby at a time. However, there may be times when two or more embryos must be transferred to achieve a pregnancy. This is always a joint decision with the patient, the physician, and the embryologist. Embryos that are not transferred can be cryopreserved and used for later transfers.
