Egg freezing or oocyte cryopreservation is a process which allows women to preserve eggs for future use. They are harvested when the woman is young, as the quality of the eggs declines with age. The woman is given fertility medicines to ovulate and then the eggs are extracted using a needle and an ultrasound probe.
It takes about 2 weeks for the woman to start ovulating after taking the fertility medicines. It’s not a major procedure for one to be worried about as anaesthesia is given to the patient. It takes 10 minutes to complete the entire procedure.
Egg freezing gives the option to conceive or get pregnant at a later stage. Working women prefer this method as it helps them plan a pregnancy. It could also be used by women who are undergoing medical treatment or have a medical condition that could affect their fertility in the future.
The first step is to approach a reproductive endocrinologist who is an expert in the field. The patient is sedated during the entire procedure. The ultrasound probe is inserted into the vagina to identify the follicles which contain the eggs.
The procedure will be explained to the patient as it has multiple steps:
Once the eggs are harvested, they are immediately frozen in order to preserve them. This process is called vitrification, a cryopreservation technique that prevents ice crystals from forming due to the difficult makeup of an unfertilized egg.
A week after the procedure the patient can resume normal activities. It is best to avoid unprotected sex to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. It is best to contact the doctor if the following side effects are experienced:
The results of this procedure will enable the patient to use the eggs in the future. Post-procedure the following steps are taken to use the egg:
The chances of getting pregnant depend upon the age at the time of egg freezing. As it was mentioned above, the health of the egg depends upon the age at it which it was retrieved.
Egg freezing is a procedure that enables women to plan their pregnancy by preserving their eggs when they are young. This procedure helps women who want to get ahead with their careers. Egg freezing is a safe option to do that but does come with risks that people must be aware of.
Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
When women undergo ovulation stimulation, they take injectable hormone medications to increase the production of eggs. The problem arises when there are too many hormones in the system which could lead to Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). It is a condition where the ovaries become swollen and cause an immense amount of pain. The patient could experience abdominal pain, vomiting, and shortness of breath.