We offer egg freezing to women who are facing significant decline in ovarian function, which may have an impact on their future fertility as well as to cancer patients wishing to preserve their eggs prior to treatment. We are also happy to offer egg freezing to fertile patients wishing to preserve their eggs for future use (social egg freezing).
A woman’s fertility is predominantly dependant on the quality and quantity of her eggs. A healthy woman has a finite number of eggs, which is at its maximum before birth and continues to decline rapidly throughout life. As egg numbers and in turn egg quality decline with age, chances of both natural conception and success through fertility treatment decrease significantly; especially in patients over 35, with this process accelerating in those over 40 years of age. Over the last 30 years the average age of women in their first pregnancy has consistently increased, with over 20% of babies now born to mothers over 35. Egg freezing allows women the option of freezing their eggs when younger (as opposed to using fresh low quality eggs at an older age) thus offering them a better chance of a successful pregnancy in the future.
The introduction of vitrification, a new rapid cryopreservation technique that minimises ice crystal formation and therefore limits damage during the freeze/thaw process has made egg freezing as a means to potentially preserve a woman’s long-term fertility a viable option. We are very proud to be able to offer this service to all our patients. Increasing worldwide data is suggesting that frozen eggs may be as effective in achieving pregnancy as fresh eggs and long term data on pregnancy risks such as preterm labour or birth defects shows no increase. To maximise egg freezing as an ‘insurance’ policy, a number of stimulation cycles may be required. We would recommend women to freeze at as young an age as possible and aim for at least 15 eggs in storage. We therefore offer egg freezing packages for those considering more than one stimulation cycle.
We can confirm that here at ISIS Clinic we have achieved healthy live births following egg vitrification and would like to encourage this option as a means of fertility preservation.