Here's what you should know about fertility preservation

Top Doctors recently had the pleasure of speaking to highly experienced fertility specialist, Dr Irfana Koita, who, here in one of our latest articles, explains what is meant by fertility preservation and what exactly the process involves.

What is meant by fertility preservation?

Fertility preservation simply refers to the specialist fertility treatment options that are available in order to protect an individual's or a couple’s ability to conceive a biological child later in life.

What does fertility preservation involve exactly?

It involves the process of saving healthy eggs, sperm, embryos or reproductive tissue, with the aim being to provide people with the ability to start a family in the future when the time is right for them.

What are the main reasons people choose to undergo fertility preservation?

There are plenty of reasons why someone might choose to undergo fertility preservation.

The main ones include: 

• A patient is growing older but is not yet ready to start a family
• Radiation treatment
• Chemotherapy
• A patient is undergoing surgery which could impact fertility
• A patient has been diagnosed with genetic condition which may decrease fertility
• A patient will have to undergo hormone therapy

What are the main fertility preserving techniques or operations?

Vitrification is the main preserving technique used. We can also use egg freezing, sperm freezing, embryo freezing, or surgical sperm retrieval.

What are the success rates of each of them?

The success rate really depends on the age of the woman or man, and on other factors such as other illnesses or conditions that might affect the couple’s chances of successful fertility preservation.

Dr Irfana Koita is a highly established London-based fertility specialist. If you are considering undergoing fertility preservation, it might be a good idea to book an appointment with Dr Koita today. You can do this via her Top Doctors profile.