Egg Freezing

If you are worried about your fertility, egg freezing can be a way to save the eggs that might have been wasted. While we aren’t necessarily sure of the future of frozen eggs in medical science, this article will cover everything you need to know about egg freezing and how it can help improve your health.

What is Egg Freezing?

The world of cryopreservation is filled with questions. Why do we need egg freezing? How does it work? Is there a risk involved? Can I freeze my eggs even if I don’t plan to have children? In this article, we’ll look at all these questions and many more.

Egg freezing or oocyte cryopreservation, is a process that involves freezing the eggs of a woman(oocytes) to be used in the future. The process involves removing the eggs from the ovaries and freezing them in a liquid nitrogen tank. The eggs are then placed in an incubator to begin the thawing process. The thawing process takes approximately two weeks, after which the eggs are fertilized with sperm. If all goes well, you will have your baby!

Although this process has been available for decades, it has become more popular over the last few years.

Do you need Egg Freezing?

Many women who are unable to conceive due to health issues, are undergoing IVF treatment. In some cases, the woman is unable to carry a pregnancy due to medical reasons. Egg Freezing is a process of freezing eggs, which helps in preserving fertility and avoiding future problems.

A woman might consider Egg freezing for a variety of reasons:

  • If she is detected with cancer and has to undergo cancer treatment (chemotherapy and/or pelvic radiation therapy), it can affect fertility
  • Any Ovarian disease, Surgery that may cause damage to her ovaries.
  • If the woman opts for an IVF method and if her male partner does not produce the appropriate amount of sperms on the day the woman retrieves the eggs, then the best option is Egg freezing.

The Procedure of Egg Freezing

Egg freezing is a relatively new procedure that allows women to preserve their eggs for future use. It has multiple steps — Consultation, Ovarian Stimulation, Egg Retrieval and Freezing.

  • Consultation and Stimulation

    Egg freezing is a relatively new procedure that allows women to preserve their eggs for future use. It has multiple steps — Consultation, Ovarian Stimulation, Egg Retrieval and Freezing.

  • Egg Retrieval and Freezing

    The doctor inserts a needle into the ovarian follicles to retrieve the eggs after they ripen. Then, the eggs are frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen until a woman decides to use them for future pregnancies. These eggs are good for fertilization for up to 5 years after being frozen.

Risks Associated with the Egg Freezing

The risks associated with egg freezing have been reported to be low. The procedure is simple and can be done under local anesthesia. There are no serious side effects reported. Some risks are mentioned as:

Here are some conditions related to the use of fertility drugs:

  • Injectable fertility drugs can cause painful swelling of your ovaries soon after you ovulate or have eggs retrieved. Some of the symptoms are:

    • Bloating
    • Abdominal pain
    • Diarrhea
    • Vomiting
    • Nausea
    • Even if you are ever unlucky enough to develop the most severe form of the syndrome, it is highly unlikely that it will be life-threatening.
  • The eggs can be damaged or even destroyed if they are not handled properly.
  • Emotional risks

How Much Does Egg Freezing Cost in India?

Egg freezing depends on several important factors:

  • What your insurance plan covers
  • How many rounds of egg retrieval do you need? (not all eggs will be viable)
  • How long do you need to store your frozen eggs?
  • What you plan on doing with your eggs once they’re thawed

Success Rate of Egg Freezing

Egg freezing is a relatively new procedure that allows women to preserve their eggs for future use. It has multiple steps — Consultation, Ovarian Stimulation, Egg Retrieval and Freezing.

  • The age of the woman at the time of egg freezing. The older the woman, the poorer the quality of eggs hence reduced chances of a live birth following the use of frozen- thawed eggs.
  • Her fertility status,
  • Her egg quality
  • How well she understands the procedure.