Oocyte Cryopreservation (Egg Freezing)
Oocyte cryopreservation, commonly called egg freezing, is a fertility preservation technique where mature oocytes are collected after ovarian stimulation and rapidly vitrified for long-term storage.
It enables women to preserve reproductive potential prior to age-related decline or before therapies (chemotherapy/radiation) that threaten fertility.
Modern vitrification yields high post-thaw survival and offers realistic chances for future pregnancy when combined with IVF.
Overview And Clinical Background
Preserving fertility with modern cryotechniques
Egg freezing captures a woman’s reproductive potential at a specific point by harvesting multiple mature oocytes and cryopreserving them using vitrification.
Vitrification prevents ice-crystal formation and preserves cell integrity, allowing thawed eggs to be fertilised later via IVF/ICSI.
This option is widely used for social preservation as well as medical indications such as prior to gonadotoxic cancer therapy.
- Indications: Planned delay of childbearing, impending chemotherapy/radiation, risk of ovarian surgery or genetic conditions affecting ovarian reserve.
- Technique: ovarian stimulation, transvaginal egg retrieval under sedation, and vitrification in an accredited cryolab.
- Goal: Secure viable oocytes for future IVF cycles, improving chances of genetic offspring when personal timing or medical risks intervene.
Symptoms, Signs And Presentation
Candidates seek egg freezing when planning delayed pregnancy or before treatments that impair ovarian function.
Assessment of ovarian reserve and counselling about realistic outcomes by age are core to appropriate selection.
- Typical candidates: Women in reproductive years delaying pregnancy for personal or medical reasons, and patients scheduled for gonadotoxic therapy.
- Older age reduces egg quantity and quality; earlier freezing yields higher future success probabilities.
- Counselling: Discuss success rates, number of eggs to freeze for target chances and storage policies up front.
Diagnosis Methods And Investigations
Ovarian reserve testing and health screening
Baseline evaluation includes AMH, FSH, antral follicle count (AFC) and infectious disease screening.
These tests guide stimulation dosing and help estimate the number of eggs likely to be retrieved and frozen.
- Baseline tests: AMH level, FSH/LH, estradiol and transvaginal ultrasound for AFC to plan personalised stimulation.
- Infectious screening: HIV, hepatitis B/C and other mandatory tests for safe cryostorage and future use.
- Counselling: discuss expected egg yield by age and the approximate number of eggs recommended to achieve a future live birth probability.
Treatment Options And Surgical Techniques
Ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins over ~10–12 days, ultrasound-monitored follicular growth and a transvaginal egg retrieval under sedation are standard.
Mature oocytes are vitrified immediately in the lab and stored in secure cryobanks; when needed they are thawed, fertilised (usually by ICSI) and transferred as embryos.
- Stimulation: Personalised antagonist or agonist protocols optimise egg yield while minimising ovarian hyperstimulation risk.
- Retrieval and vitrification: Transvaginal ultrasound-guided retrieval followed by rapid vitrification ensures high post-thaw survival.
- Future use: thawed oocytes undergo fertilisation (often ICSI) and embryo culture prior to transfer based on patient preference and uterine readiness.
Recovery, Risks And Prognosis
Most patients recover quickly from retrieval with mild soreness or bloating for a few days.
Risks include ovarian hyperstimulation (rare with modern protocols), bleeding or infection from retrieval and the emotional/financial considerations of storage.
Success depends on age at freezing and number/quality of oocytes; earlier freezing generally yields better outcomes.
- Short-term: Mild abdominal cramping, spotting or transient bloating after retrieval; serious complications are uncommon.
- Long-term storage: eggs remain viable for many years under proper cryogenic conditions; policies on duration vary by jurisdiction.
- Outcome: Live-birth probability per thawed egg varies by age; clinics provide realistic counselling on expected chances based on numbers frozen.
Why Choose Us
CureU Healthcare offers personalised ovarian stimulation, accredited vitrification lab facilities and experienced reproductive teams to optimise egg yield and post-thaw survival.
We combine clear counselling on expected outcomes, secure long-term storage and seamless future IVF support to help patients preserve reproductive choices with confidence.
Conclusion
Oocyte cryopreservation is a practical and evidence-based option to preserve fertility for medical or personal reasons.
Early counselling, proper ovarian reserve assessment and expert lab techniques maximise the chance of future pregnancy using frozen eggs.
