Egg and embryo freezing is a modern reproductive technology that helps women preserve their fertility and increase their chances of having children in the future. It is especially beneficial for those who choose to delay pregnancy due to career goals, medical conditions, or personal reasons.

Egg Freezing

Oocyte (egg) freezing is an option for women. Egg freezing is the process of collecting mature eggs from a woman’s ovaries and freezing them for use in the future. This method is typically preferred in the following situations:

• Fertility preservation due to career or educational reasons
• Fertility at risk due to treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgical interventions
• Declining fertility rates in natural cycles due to advanced age
• In women who are carriers of genetic disorders and wish to select embryos through genetic testing in the future

The egg freezing process typically involves the following steps:

1. Ovarian Stimulation: The woman receives hormone therapy to increase the number of eggs produced. This process typically lasts for several weeks.
2. Egg Retrieval: Following the stimulation treatment, the mature eggs are collected vaginally.
3. Freezing: The collected eggs are frozen using a specialized method and stored for future use.

Frozen eggs can be used through in vitro fertilization (IVF) whenever the woman chooses, especially if her natural egg production has declined.

Embryo Freezing

Embryo freezing is an option available for couples. It involves freezing and storing fertilized eggs (embryos) during in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Embryo freezing is typically suitable in the following situations:

• Storing embryos obtained after a successful IVF treatment
• Storing healthy embryos due to genetic disorders
• Freezing multiple embryos for future use when more than one embryo is obtained

The embryo freezing process involves the following steps:

1. Egg Retrieval and Fertilization: Eggs are collected through IVF treatment and fertilized with sperm obtained from the male partner.
2. Embryo Development: The fertilized eggs are allowed to develop in a laboratory environment for several days.
3. Freezing: Healthy embryos are frozen and stored for future use.

Embryo freezing offers a higher success rate for women, as embryos are already fertilized and have begun to develop. Additionally, genetic testing can also be performed at this stage.

Benefits of Egg and Embryo Freezing Methods

• Fertility Preservation: Eggs or embryos frozen at a younger age offer higher success rates compared to those obtained naturally in later years.
• Future Family Planning: Egg or embryo freezing allows women to maintain the possibility of having children even at a later age.
• Before Cancer Treatment: Egg freezing offers a vital option to preserve fertility before undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which may affect reproductive health.

Risks and Considerations

• Treatment Process: The collection and freezing of eggs require hormone therapy and a series of medical procedures.
• Success Rate: Egg freezing generally has lower success rates compared to embryo freezing, as fertilization and embryo development are not always guaranteed.
• Financial Burden: Egg and embryo freezing procedures are typically high-cost treatments.

Your doctor offers personalized planning for egg and embryo freezing procedures, providing fertility treatments tailored to each woman’s individual needs. By carefully considering factors such as hormonal therapy, treatment duration, and success rates, the most effective and safe approach is selected to achieve the best possible outcome. The ultimate goal is to protect a woman’s reproductive rights and enhance her chances of building a healthy family in the future.