Egg freezing

Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a method used to save a woman's ability to get pregnant in the future. Eggs harvested from your ovaries are frozen unfertilized and stored for later use. A frozen egg can be thawed, combined with sperm in a lab and implanted in your uterus (in vitro fertilization).

Procedure

The egg freezing process consists of several steps:

1. Ovarian stimulation: You take synthetic hormones to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs — rather than the single egg that typically develops each month. Multiple eggs are needed because some eggs won't develop or fertilize after retrieval.
2. Egg retrieval: The eggs are retrieved through a minor surgical procedure that uses ultrasound imaging to guide a hollow needle through the pelvic cavity. Sedation and local anesthesia are provided to remove any discomfort that you might experience. The eggs are removed from the follicles through a needle connected to a suction device.
3. Freezing: The retrieved eggs are then frozen, either by a method called controlled-rate freezing or a newer method called vitrification. Vitrification is a rapid freezing technique that reduces the chances of the egg being damaged by ice crystals.

Risks

Egg freezing carries various risks, including:

1. Conditions related to the use of fertility drugs: Use of synthetic hormones, such as those used during the ovarian stimulation process, can lead to conditions such as Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS).
2. Emotional risks: Egg freezing can provide hope for a future pregnancy, but there's no guarantee of success.
3. Risk of chromosomal abnormalities: The risk of having a baby with chromosomal abnormalities increases with the age of the woman at the time the frozen eggs are used to achieve pregnancy, not the age at which the eggs were frozen.

Success rates

The likelihood of achieving a live birth using frozen eggs is dependent on various factors, including the age at which the eggs were frozen. Younger women are more likely to have healthier eggs, which increases the likelihood of success.

See also

• In vitro fertilization
• Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
• Fertility

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