Egg Banking & Fertility Preservation
All women share a common dream of becoming a mother. Female fertility begins declining in the late 20’s; however conception rates remain high into the 30’s. After age 35, the decline accelerates and reaches nearly zero pregnancy potential by the time the woman reaches age 45. In addition, women over 35 have an increased risk of miscarriage and/ or genetic abnormalities in their children as a result of age-dependent changes in egg quality.
You Plan your Career – Why not plan your Fertility?
Many women delay family building while seeking a life partner and many others due to educational, career or economic considerations. Historically, embryo cryopreservation was the only option offered to female patients. This option, while successful, has a major disadvantage about the requirement of a sperm source to create the embryos. So, this option is obviously closed for single women. Fortunately, the advent of efficient and reliable oocyte freezing allows you to proactively preserve your fertility until you are ready to have children. At Aster IVF, we are pleased to introduce ‘Egg Banking ‘, also known as elective Oocyte Cryopreservation or Egg Freezing. Egg Banking offers hope to all women who are concerned about their future fertility. It greatly increases a woman’s potential to have children later in life.
Am I a candidate for egg-freezing?
If you’re between the ages of 25 and 35, not during a stable relationship and you would like to extend your chances of conception together with your own eggs within the future, Egg Banking is a suitable option for you. This is also an honest option for young women diagnosed with cancer, women with a case history of early menopause and people with chronic diseases where the medication may have a detrimental effect on oocyte function.
What is the process?
The first step is to schedule a consultation with one among our fertility physicians to debate your medical record and birth control goals. The next step will entail a couple of tests which will help decide if egg banking is true for your needs. Ovarian stimulation will begin on Day 1 or 2 of your period and you’ll be ready for egg retrieval after 11 -13 days. You will need to come to the clinic for follicular monitoring and blood tests every 4 – 5 days. Egg retrieval may be a minimally invasive procedure that takes place under anesthesia while you sleep comfortably. Depending on your response to the medications, quite one egg retrieval could also be needed to supply a sensible chance of conception within the future. After the retrieval, your eggs are going to be cryopreserved and stored until you’re able to use them.
How are the eggs frozen & stored?
Following the egg retrieval procedure, the eggs are immediately transferred to the laboratory for an advanced cryopreservation process called ‘Vitrification’ performed by our highly skilled and experienced embryologists. The eggs are then stored in special holding tanks. Aster IVF’s secure cryopreservation facility includes stringent quality controls, enhanced security, fault-tolerant storage, controlled access, and constant monitoring.
For how long can the eggs remain frozen?
Theoretically, egg or embryos could also be frozen indefinitely, as no biological activity takes place during cryopreservation. In medical literature, the longest reported time for an embryo to be frozen, thawed and end in a viable healthy delivery is twelve years. Freezing and thawing protocols still improve, making it possible that eggs/embryos frozen more recently may have even better outcomes.
How do you use frozen eggs to achieve pregnancy?
Once you’re able to start a family together with your partner / husband, you’ll be prepared for a recipient cycle with medications to organize your uterine lining. Your eggs are going to be thawed and fertilized using the ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) technique together with your partner / husband’s sperm. The embryo transfer will then be planned after 2 or 3 days.
Is egg freezing safe?
To date, approximately 2,000 babies have been born from frozen eggs. The largest published study of 900 babies from frozen eggs showed no increased rate of birth defects when compared to the general population. Additionally, results from one study showed no increased rates of chromosomal defects between embryos derived from frozen eggs compared to embryos derived from frozen eggs.