What is Oocyte cryopreservation?

Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is a process in which a woman’s eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen and stored as a method to preserve reproductive potential in women of reproductive age. The first human birth from a frozen oocyte was reported in 1986. Oocyte cryopreservation has advanced greatly over the past few years, with improved overall success of eggs surviving the freezing process.

During the procedure, medications are used to stimulate eggs to grow. Those eggs are then harvested from the ovaries and frozen for storage. At a later date, the eggs can be thawed and combined with sperm to create an embryo. The embryo can then be implanted into the uterus during an embryo transfer cycle.

While some people may opt to freeze their eggs for use at a later date, egg freezing is also associated with egg donation — when a donor gives eggs for someone else to use during fertility treatments.

Regardless of the reason for freezing eggs, the overall goal is the same: storing eggs allows you to preserve fertility by harvesting eggs at a younger age, which can be used at a later date. Although this won’t guarantee a pregnancy, it can improve the chances of successfully conceiving later in life.

Who Needs Egg (oocyte) Freezing?

Cryopreservation of the oocytes can be considered for a variety of reasons:

• Women with cancer requiring chemotherapy and/or pelvic radiation therapy that may affect fertility.
• Surgery that may cause damage to the ovaries.
• Risk of premature ovarian failure because of chromosomal abnormalities (e.g. Turner syndrome, fragile X syndrome), or family history of early menopause.
• Ovarian disease with risk of damage to the ovaries.
• Genetic mutations requiring removing the ovaries (e.g. BRCA mutation).
• Fertility preservation for social or personal reasons to delay childbearing.