Oocyte (egg) freezing for future fertility

Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a process where a woman’s eggs are extracted, frozen, and stored for future use. It’s a method often utilised by women who want to preserve their fertility for various reasons, including medical treatments that may impact fertility, career pursuits, or personal circumstances.

The process typically involves several steps:

1. Ovarian Stimulation: The woman undergoes hormonal injections to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs.
2. Monitoring: The woman’s progress is monitored through blood tests and ultrasound to ensure the eggs are maturing properly.
3. Egg Retrieval: Once the eggs are deemed mature, they are retrieved via a minor surgical procedure called transvaginal ultrasound aspiration.
4. Freezing: The eggs are then frozen using a process called vitrification, which involves rapidly cooling them to very low temperatures to prevent ice crystal formation, which can damage the eggs.
5. Storage: The frozen eggs are stored in specialized facilities, typically in liquid nitrogen tanks, until they are ready to be used.

Egg freezing offers women the opportunity to delay childbearing while preserving the option of having biological children later in life. However, it’s important to note that success rates can vary, and it’s not a guarantee of future pregnancy. The age at which the eggs are frozen, the quality of the eggs, and other factors can influence the likelihood of success.