Egg Banking and Fertility PreservationRitu2015-12-31T01:04:34+00:00
Egg Banking and Fertility Preservation
All women share a common dream of becoming a mother. After the age of 35 years, the fertility decline accelerates and reaches nearly zero pregnancy potential by the time the woman reaches the age of 45 years. In addition, women over 35 years have an increased risk of miscarriage and/or genetic abnormalities in their children as a result of age-dependent changes in egg quality.
Many women delay family building while seeking a life partner and many others due to educational, carrier, socioeconomic considerations. Initially embryo cryopreservation was the only option offered to the male patients. This option, while successful, has many disadvantages one of them being the requirement of a sperm source to create embryos this option is obviously closed for single women. With the advent of efficient and reliable oocyte freezing programs it allows women to proactively preserve their gametes until they are ready to have a family.
If you are between 25 and 35 years of age, not in a stable relationship and you wish to increase your chances of conception with your own eggs in the future, Egg Banking is a suitable option for you. This is also a good option for young women diagnosed with cancer, women with a family history of early menopause and those with chronic diseases where the medication may have a determined effect on oocyte function.
Ovarian stimulation will begin on day one or two of your period and you may be ready for egg retrieval after 11-13 days. You will have to come to the clinic for follicular monitoring and blood tests every 4-5 days. Egg retrieval is a minimally invasive procedure that takes place under anesthesia. Depending on your response to the medication, more than one egg retrieval may be needed to provide a realistic chance of conception in the future. After the retrieval, your egg will be cryopreserved and stored until you are ready to use them.
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How are the eggs frozen and stored?
Following the egg retrieval procedure, the eggs are immediately transferred to the laboratory for an advanced cryopreservation process called ‘Vitrification’. The eggs are then stored in special holding tanks. Cryopreservation facility includes stringent quality controls, enhanced security, fault-tolerant storage, controlled access and constant monitoring.
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For how long can the eggs remain frozen?
Theoretically, eggs or embryos may 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 result in a viable healthy delivery in twelve years. Freezing and thawing protocols continue to improve, making it possible that eggs/embryos frozen more recently may have even better outcomes.
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How do you use frozen eggs to achieve pregnancy?
Once you are ready to start family with your partner/husband, you will be prepared for a recipient cycle with medications to prepare your uterine lining. Your eggs will be thawed and fertilized using the ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) technique with your partner/husband’s sperm. The embryo transfer will then be planned after 2 or 3 days.
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 fresh eggs.
