Overview
Medically termed as oocyte cryopreservation, Egg freezing is the process of extracting eggs (oocytes) from a woman’s ovaries and preserving these eggs to become pregnant at a later stage of life. Thus, the procedure helps many women in delaying their pregnancy to achieve their career or life goals first, or to preserve their fertility before they go for necessary medical treatments like chemotherapy. Let’s get a complete understanding of its success rates, risks, procedure, and when to consider.
Why Women Choose Egg Freezing
Several reasons may persuade someone to go through the Egg Freezing procedure. All of those reasons can be boiled down to two categories -
1. Medical Reasons for Freezing Eggs
Some medical treatments, like chemotherapy and pelvic radiation therapy for cancer treatment, may negatively affect the fertility of the patient. Thus, such women may use egg freezing to preserve their chance of having biological children at a later stage of life. It becomes a viable option to preserve fertility for women at an increased risk of premature ovarian failure, early menopause, or those affected by endometriosis.
2. Social or Lifestyle Reasons for Freezing Eggs
Social and personal reasons are a big factor in why many people delay pregnancy, and egg freezing becomes a valid option. These social factors may include prioritising your career goals or any other life goals; perhaps you have yet to find the right partner with whom you want to start your family.
Egg Freezing Procedure Step by Step
Although egg freezing can feel like a tedious process to follow through with, as it involves several steps, it is still a lot simpler than it appears. Let’s look at the various steps of egg freezing:-
Step 1: Ovarian Stimulation
A woman first undergoes ovarian stimulation with medications to produce multiple eggs. Usually, ovaries only produce a single egg in each menstrual cycle, but with the right hormone medication, ovaries can produce many eggs in the same period. A higher number of eggs increases the chances of success with this procedure.
After careful observation and blood tests, a fertility specialist will determine the dosage and type of medications to be used. Usually, you have to use 2 or 3 hormonal injections on your stomach for 10 to 12 days as prescribed by the fertility specialist. While you go through ovarian stimulation, you will also have to go for frequent blood tests and an ultrasound to check the development of eggs and check if any abnormalities or complications occur.
Step 2 – Egg Retrieval Process
The actual egg retrieval process happens via a small surgery, while you are under mild anaesthesia. Usually, the whole operation takes 15 to 30 minutes, in which doctors insert a small needle into your ovaries to retrieve the eggs.
Step 3 – Freezing (Vitrification)
After the successful retrieval of eggs, they are frozen as soon as possible with a process called vitrification, a flash freezing technique. To prevent ice crystal formations, doctors inject special liquid into the eggs before freezing them. These eggs are stored in special preservation tanks filled with liquid nitrogen to maintain sub-zero temperatures. These eggs can be stored here for many years before they are thawed for the IVF treatment.
Success Rate and Effectiveness
The primary aim of egg freezing is to increase the chances of achieving biological motherhood. Thus, you may wonder how successful and effective the procedure is. Egg freezing is not a foolproof solution to preserve fertility as many factors can play a role in the success of IVF treatment with those frozen eggs.
The success rate of achieving motherhood via the frozen eggs ranges between 21% to 48%, {ref} depending on the age of the woman, number of eggs frozen, the quality of the eggs, and overall health of the woman. You may need to go through multiple IVF treatment cycles to achieve pregnancy.
Benefits of Freezing Eggs
- The primary benefit of egg freezing is that it helps to preserve fertility for the future.
- Many women who want to have children someday may worry about age-related infertility, as fertility declines significantly as you age. Thus, freezing your eggs now can be helpful.
- One aspect of egg freezing is that it empowers women with greater control over their reproductive choices.
Risks and Side Effects of Egg Freezing
Egg freezing is a relatively safe procedure with minimal risks. Although many women will experience some side effects, they are usually mild and caused by the hormone injections taken for ovarian stimulation. These side effects range from temporary bloating, headaches, and mood swings due to a temporary hormonal imbalance caused by the medications.
In extremely rare cases, conditions like ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) can occur, and to prevent this, doctors usually keep taking blood tests while you take medications for ovarian stimulation. Aside from that, going through this process can be emotionally demanding and financially challenging for many. Therefore, it is essential to be both physically and emotionally prepared.
When to Consider Egg Freezing
It is best to consider egg freezing at a younger age, ideally in the late 20s or early 30s, when the quality and quantity of eggs are near their peak. However, after the age of 35, the quality of eggs begins to decline, reducing the chances of a successful pregnancy.
Fertility doctors do blood tests to measure follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) to predict the quality of eggs.
Cost of Egg Freezing
The egg freezing procedure can be pretty expensive, and since most insurance plans do not cover it, it can be a financial burden. In addition to the procedure, you may also need to bear the cost of egg storage separately.
Common Questions Asked
Is egg freezing safe for future use?
Yes, egg freezing is a relatively safe procedure, but it may cause some mild symptoms like temporary mood swings and bloating.
What is the purpose of freezing eggs?
The primary purpose of egg freezing is to get a better chance of achieving motherhood at a later age, if any age-related fertility issues arise.
Can you get pregnant after freezing eggs?
Yes, you can still conceive naturally after egg freezing, as it doesn’t affect your ability to conceive naturally. Egg freezing is aimed to provide an extra reserve of eggs for IVF treatment, if a natural pregnancy results in failure.
Does freezing eggs mean no period?
Once the doctors retrieve the required number of eggs, you will continue your normal period cycle afterwards.
What is the right age to freeze eggs?
There is no right age for going through egg freezing, but it is better to do it at a younger age, ideally in your 20s to 30s.
How long can eggs remain frozen?
Theoretically, eggs can remain frozen indefinitely, but local regulations can set a maximum storage period. In India, you can freeze your eggs for up to 10 years.
Is pregnancy guaranteed after egg freezing?
Unfortunately, pregnancy after egg freezing is not a guarantee, but it can raise your chances of achieving pregnancy at a later stage of life.