Oocyte cryopreservation, or egg freezing, is a fertility preservation option that gives more individuals great hope for their future. Life can give you several reasons to delay having kids. Maybe you are focused on pursuing a career, working on personal growth, or managing health issues and would have to put off having kids for a while. Egg cryopreservation provides the option to store eggs at their peak healthiness, allowing individuals to take family-building into account more flexibly when that makes sense.
Thanks to recent advancements in freezing technology, especially a process called vitrification, egg freezing has become more accessible and effective than ever before. Let's now see how egg freezing works, what its benefits are, and some major factors to consider if you’re interested in this option for the future.
Egg freezing refers to the process of taking, freezing, and storing a woman's eggs for future use. In contrast to the embryo, which is cryopreserved after fertilisation, oocyte cryopreservation preserves the unfertilised oocytes, which can then be thawed, fertilised In-vitro, and then implanted via In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) only (and at the most appropriate time) when the person decides to become pregnant. This procedure is especially useful for women who want to delay the pregnancy without compromising the quality of the oocytes.
Oocyte cryopreservation is a delicate process that must be performed under the close supervision of health personnel. Below is a step-by-step breakdown:
The initial step is to electrically stimulate the ovaries, releasing more than one egg (i.e., ovulating). Patients are prescribed hormone injections to boost egg production. Normally, a woman's ovary releases one egg per menstrual cycle, but through this stimulation, the ovaries have a chance to release multiple mature eggs at one time.
During the ovarian stimulation, ultrasounds and blood tests estimate the patients' hormone concentrations and follicle growth. After follicles are mature, a needle procedure called egg retrieval is conducted. A specialist extracts an egg from the ovary[s] with a thin needle. This technique is minimally invasive and takes 20 minutes to 30 minutes under light sedation.
After retrieval, the eggs are prepared for freezing using a process called vitrification, which rapidly freezes the eggs, preventing ice crystals from forming. Because ice crystals are known to injure cells, vitrification is highly desirable for maintaining egg quality. The eggs are subsequently preserved in liquid nitrogen at very high temperatures and can be kept for a long time.
Oocyte cryopreservation has become an important technology for people desiring to reserve their own fertility securely. Some main advantages are:
Egg cryopreservation enables the storage of human eggs at a young age, a time period when eggs are generally healthier and have more predictable viability. This can benefit those who aren’t ready to conceive but want to keep the option open for the future.
Fertility can be a stressful topic for many people. By prioritising egg conservation early on, individuals have the opportunity to devote their attention to other personal, professional, or health goals while feeling that they have already made concrete decisions regarding their future reproductive options.
Also, egg freezing is extremely useful for those undergoing treatment with in-column therapies, like chemotherapy, which might negatively influence fertility. Egg freezing before such therapies allows them to utilise their own eggs at a later stage.
Oocyte cryopreservation is for single-parent family planning and offers much flexibility for single people planning to be parents.
Freezing eggs very early allows people to reach life aspirations without the pressure to commit to starting a family before the time is right. This procedure allows people to plan for parenthood while balancing career, education, and personal goals at their own pace.
After being frozen, eggs can remain viable for a long time. Present studies have shown that eggs frozen longer than 10 years also lead to a successful pregnancy. Frozen eggs may be preserved at clinics for even longer durations, depending on clinic policies and patients' requirements. Survival after thawing, however, might differ according to the patient's age at the time of freezing, to the vitrification technique used by the clinic and quality of the oocytes.
One aspect that people commonly consider before pursuing egg freezing is the cost. The cost covers hormone medication, retrieval, and annual storage costs for the storage of the ovarian eggs. Payment plans or package deals for covering retrieval and storage for a fixed term are sometimes available in some clinics. If you are considering Egg freezing, it is a good idea to visit fertility clinics to learn the full cost and whether there is financial aid available. Certain employers have also started reimbursing egg freezing as part of fertility benefits, thus making the option more feasible.
Cryopreservation of oocytes or egg freezing is an emerging fertility preservation procedure that enables more people to have a choice over their own future. Family planning may be delayed, much as a result of various factors such as a career, the development of oneself, or a health condition that could impact fertility. Egg cryopreservation offers the possibility of freezing many eggs fit to fertilise at a peak developmental stage, allowing people to consider family building on a flexible basis as situations may warrant.
Thanks to recent improvements in cryogenic technology, particularly vitrification, egg freezing is now more available and practical than before. In this article, we’ll explore how egg freezing works, its benefits, and some important things to consider if you’re interested in this option in the future.
Thanks to vitrification (flash-freezing), eggs can be stored for 10 years and more without degradation. They can be used as long as they are kept in liquid nitrogen at appropriate conditions.
● Ovarian Stimulation: Hormone injections (10–14 days) induce ovarian production of multiple eggs.
● Egg Retrieval: A painless, minimally invasive procedure via light sedation repels the eggs from the ovaries.
● Cryopreservation: The eggs are flash-frozen and stored until you can use them.
The costs typically cover three areas: those related to ovarian stimulation medications and retrieval and yearly storage fees. Several clinics provide packages, and some employers offer fertility preservation as part of their benefits. Consulting a clinic will help clarify the exact costs.
Egg freezing is safe in routine, but occasional mild side effects from hormone injections (e.g., bloating, mood changes) occur. Rarely, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) or a minor risk associated with retrieval procedures can be developed. Discuss any concerns with your doctor for guidance.
