Oocyte (Egg) Freezing

Human egg freezing or oocyte cryopreservation is a novel technique intended to preserve a woman’s eggs for later use in life. Eggs are extracted from the ovary, frozen and stored at very low temperatures in a state of suspended animation until the woman is ready to become pregnant. The technology is still considered experimental by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and should be performed under the guidance of an Institutional Review Board (IRB). Fertility Specialists of Texas is one of the few practices in North Texas that has received Western IRB approval for its protocols and procedures for this novel technology.

How is the egg freezing procedure performed?

We will begin by giving you a series of fertility medications that will encourage your ovaries to grow and develop more eggs than usual. During this time, we will carefully monitor you with blood tests and ultrasound to see when your eggs are ready to be retrieved. Removing the eggs is a brief procedure that takes less than half-an-hour and is performed under a light anesthetic. Typically, between 10 to 20 eggs are recovered from the ovaries. After the eggs are collected they will be frozen the same day using a rapid freezing technique called vitrification. This novel technology allows freezing of the eggs without formation of ice inside the cell keeping the eggs in the state of suspended animation indefinitely. When pregnancy is desired, days or years later, the eggs are thawed and fertilized via Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). Resulting embryos are then transferred to the uterus. Fertility Specialists of Texas is one of the leaders and most experienced clinics in egg vitrification technologies in North Texas.

Who may benefit from Egg Freezing?

-Young women facing chemotherapy or radiation for cancer treatment. Patient diagnosed with cancer are asked to please notify the patient care representative when making the appointment. Understanding the stress that a cancer diagnosis can cause, we strive to see patient's as soon as possible regarding fertility preservation.

-Women who pursue advanced degrees and successful careers and may want to start their families later in life. Rather than worry about age and the effect it may have on egg quality, they may opt for egg freezing and the peace of mind it affords.

-Women who haven’t found ‘Mr. Right’ can store their eggs during their reproductive prime for use whenever they find the right person to start a family with.

-Women with premature ovarian failure or early menopause.

-Rescuing IVF cycles complicated by failure to obtain sperm on the day of egg retrieval.

The “Biological Clock”. How does age affect fertility?

For many years we have been aware of the decline in fertility with increasing female age. Unlike men, who produce sperm throughout life, women are born with all of their eggs. A woman’s chance to conceive is greatly reduced in their mid 30s and more so in their early 40s. The reason for this decline in fertility is the reduced number and quality of eggs available in the ovary. Freezing eggs offers women planning to have children after the age of 35 the opportunity to effectively slow down their biological clocks.

Cancer therapy and fertility

Cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation can cause a woman’s ovary to stop producing eggs. Certain cancer treatments are more likely to cause infertility than others. Chemotherapy and radiation can result in infertility, depending on the type, dose, length, frequency, and location of treatment.

Chemotherapy risks: Certain types of chemotherapy can cause permanent damage to eggs.

Radiation risks: Whole body or abdominal/pelvic radiation can result in permanent infertility in females by causing irreversible damage to the eggs.