What is Egg Freezing? Everything You Need to Know Before Deciding
Egg freezing is a medical procedure that involves retrieving a woman’s eggs while they are still of good quality, then freezing and storing them in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius to slow down the aging process of the eggs. These eggs can later be used for fertilization when ready to have children in the future.
The key principle is that the quality and quantity of a woman’s eggs decline with age, especially after 35 years old. Egg freezing essentially “pauses time” for the eggs at a stage when they are still of good quality, increasing the chances of successful pregnancy when the woman is ready to have children, even if she is older at that time.
Who is Suitable for Egg Freezing?
Egg freezing is not limited to those with infertility issues but is suitable for various groups in different situations as follows:
Life and Career Planning
- Women who are not ready to have children at the moment due to work, financial reasons, or not having found a suitable partner but want to preserve the chance of having children in the future.
- Women aged 30 and above who want to delay having children for several years because egg quality significantly declines after this age.
Medical Reasons
- Patients undergoing treatments that affect the ovaries or reproductive system, such as chemotherapy, radiation, or endometriosis in the ovaries (chocolate cysts).
- Women with genetic conditions or diseases causing premature ovarian failure (Premature Ovarian Insufficiency).
- Women with low AMH hormone levels, indicating a reduced ovarian reserve.
Ideal Age for Egg Freezing
The most important factor affecting the success of egg freezing is the woman’s age at the time of egg retrieval, not the age when the eggs are used.
- Ages 20-30: This is when eggs are of the best quality and quantity, making it the most suitable time for egg freezing. However, in practice, women in this group often do not consider it yet.
- Ages 30-35: Still considered a suitable period with good egg quality, and many women start seriously deciding to freeze their eggs during this time.
- Ages 35-40: Egg quality and quantity begin to decline noticeably. Egg freezing is still possible but may require multiple stimulation cycles to obtain enough eggs.
- Over 40 years old: The chance of obtaining good quality eggs decreases significantly, possibly requiring multiple stimulation cycles. Doctors may also recommend other options, such as using donor eggs if the ovarian reserve is very low.
Generally, doctors recommend freezing eggs before age 35 to preserve the best quality eggs for future use.
Detailed Egg Freezing Procedure
The egg freezing process takes about 2 weeks per cycle and includes the following main steps:
- Consultation and Physical Assessment: The doctor will take a health history, menstrual history, perform an ultrasound of the uterus and ovaries, and draw blood to check hormone levels including AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone), FSH, LH, and Estradiol to assess the ovarian reserve and plan the appropriate dosage of stimulation drugs for each individual.
- Ovarian Stimulation (about 9-12 days): Daily hormone injections start on day 2-3 of the menstrual cycle to stimulate multiple follicles to grow simultaneously instead of just one natural egg. During this time, the doctor will schedule ultrasound and blood tests 3 days after starting stimulation to adjust medication doses based on the body’s response.
- Trigger Injection: When the follicles reach the appropriate size, the doctor will give a trigger shot to mature the eggs fully and schedule egg retrieval within 34-36 hours afterward.
- Egg Retrieval: A small needle is inserted through the vagina under ultrasound guidance to aspirate eggs from the ovaries. This procedure is done under sedation and takes about 15-30 minutes without pain during the process.
- Selection of Mature Eggs: Laboratory scientists will select mature and viable eggs because only eggs at the right stage can be frozen.
- Freezing Eggs Using Vitrification: Selected eggs are rapidly frozen using vitrification, which quickly lowers the temperature to prevent ice crystal formation inside the egg cells that could damage their structure. This technique preserves egg quality much better than the older slow-freezing methods.
- Storage in Liquid Nitrogen Tanks: Frozen eggs are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at -196 degrees Celsius in a controlled laboratory environment regularly monitored to maintain standards. Eggs can be preserved for many years without deterioration.
How Long Can Frozen Eggs Be Stored?
Eggs frozen by vitrification and stored in a standard laboratory can maintain their quality for a long time, generally 5-10 years or longer without significant quality loss. The actual storage duration may depend on the policies and legal regulations of each medical facility and country.
Is Egg Freezing Painful?
The overall egg freezing process is not very painful. The hormone injections may cause slight discomfort at the injection site. The egg retrieval procedure is done under sedation, so there is no pain during the procedure. After retrieval, some may experience mild lower abdominal cramping similar to menstrual pain or slight bloating due to temporarily enlarged ovaries, which usually improves within 5-7 days, especially if many eggs were retrieved.
What to Do When Using Frozen Eggs in the Future?
When ready to use the frozen eggs, they will be thawed before fertilization using the ICSI technique, which involves injecting the strongest sperm directly into the egg. Since frozen eggs often have a harder shell than fresh eggs, ICSI increases the chances of successful fertilization compared to traditional IVF. The resulting embryos are then cultured in the lab until the blastocyst stage before being transferred back into the uterus.
Advantages of Egg Freezing
- Preserves the chance of having children while eggs are still of good quality, reducing the impact of aging on egg quality in the future.
- Increases flexibility in life planning, allowing women to focus on career, finances, or waiting for the right partner without excessive concern about the biological clock.
- An important option for patients with serious illnesses requiring treatments that may affect the ovaries, such as chemotherapy or radiation.
- Can be stored for many years without significant impact on egg quality if kept under proper conditions.
- Reduces the risk of genetic diseases in the future if combined with preimplantation genetic screening of embryos before uterine transfer.
Considerations and Risks
- Egg freezing does not “guarantee” future pregnancy success. Success depends on the number and quality of eggs retrieved and other health factors at the time of use.
- There is a risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) from hormone injections, which is uncommon but requires close medical monitoring.
- The cost is relatively high and may require more than one cycle to obtain enough eggs, especially for older women or those with low ovarian reserve.
- There are additional annual storage fees for frozen eggs, so it is important to clarify details with the medical facility.
Cost of Egg Freezing
The average cost of egg freezing is approximately 150,000-250,000 THB per cycle, depending on the following factors:
- Initial diagnostic and consultation fees, including hormone tests for AMH, FSH, LH, and Estradiol.
- Cost of ovarian stimulation drugs, which vary in type and dosage depending on individual response. Those with low ovarian reserve may require higher doses.
- Egg retrieval procedure and laboratory fees.
- Freezing and annual storage fees, which are ongoing costs based on the number of years the eggs are stored.
If more than one cycle is needed to obtain enough eggs, the total cost will increase accordingly. It is advisable to consult with a doctor to evaluate the treatment plan and costs before starting the process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Egg Freezing
Q: What is egg freezing in summary?
A: It is the process of retrieving eggs while they are still of good quality and freezing them using vitrification for future fertilization.
Q: What is the best age to freeze eggs?
A: Doctors recommend freezing eggs before age 35 because egg quality and ovarian reserve are still good, but freezing can be done up to early 40s, though success rates may decrease.
Q: How long does egg freezing take?
A: The entire process takes about 2 weeks per cycle, from physical examination, ovarian stimulation, to egg retrieval and freezing.
Q: Is egg freezing painful?
A: Overall, it is not very painful. Egg retrieval is done under sedation. Mild cramping may occur after retrieval but usually resolves within 1-2 days.
Q: How long can frozen eggs be stored?
A: Eggs can maintain quality for 5-10 years or longer if stored in a standard laboratory with proper temperature control.
Q: How much does egg freezing cost?
A: The average cost is about 150,000-250,000 THB per cycle, excluding annual storage fees, depending on the facility and medication used.
Q: Does egg freezing guarantee having a child?
A: No, it does not guarantee pregnancy. Egg freezing increases the chances compared to using eggs at an older age, but success depends on other factors such as egg quality and overall health at the time of use.
Q: What is the process for using frozen eggs?
A: Eggs are thawed and fertilized using ICSI, where sperm is injected directly into the egg because frozen eggs often have a harder shell. Embryos are then cultured before transfer to the uterus.
Q: Should cancer patients freeze eggs before treatment?
A: They should consult fertility specialists and their primary doctors as soon as possible because chemotherapy or radiation can affect the ovaries. Egg freezing before treatment is an important option to preserve fertility.
Why Choose Phyathai Sriracha Infertility Center?
Because we are a recognized leader
- Over 21 years of experience with a highly trained and experienced expert team.
- The 2nd AACI standard center in Asia and the first in Eastern Thailand.
- Modern embryo culture rooms with clean room technology and perfect environmental control systems.
Because we have the most advanced technology
- Time Lapse Technology for real-time embryo monitoring 24/7.
- IMSI for sperm selection using high-magnification microscopy.
- IVF Witness system to prevent mix-ups or errors.
- NGS for comprehensive genetic screening.
Because we care for you attentively
- 24-hour Nurse Family support, available anytime, no holidays.
- Continuous follow-up care until 3 months of pregnancy.
- Comprehensive services from diagnosis to treatment and post-treatment care.
Because we understand that…
Every family has a unique story. Every journey has different obstacles. But every dream is valuable and deserves the best opportunity.
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