What is egg freezing, and who is it suitable for?

In this article, Dr Irfana Koita, a revered fertility expert, describes what egg freezing, embryo freezing, and sperm freezing are, and who the procedures are suitable for.

What is meant by freezing one’s eggs?

Freezing eggs is the procedure of choice in those that want to delay their child bearing due to social or medical reasons.

The egg freezing procedure entails administering injections in order to stimulate the ovaries for around 12 days or so. Following this, the eggs are collected under sedation. The egg collection is a relatively non-invasive procedure, and is associated with extremely minimal risks. Then, on the day of egg collection, the eggs are vitrified for future use.

What is embryo freezing?

Embryo freezing is a great option for couples who have previously undergone an IVF/assisted reproduction treatment with excess good quality embryos that they are not yet ready to use. It is also an effective option and very suitable for couples whose medical pathway or genetic background requires the fertilisation of the female egg with the male sperm to successfully produce viable embryos for cryopreservation prior to surgery or medical treatment.

What is sperm freezing?

Sperm freezing is the most effective way of preserving male fertility. Sperm can be frozen for future use either in artificial insemination or other fertility treatments, or be donated. A patient may want to consider freezing their sperm if they have been diagnosed with a condition, or if they are facing medical treatment for a condition that may affect their fertility.

Sperm freezing could also be incredibly useful and helpful for patients who have a low sperm count or whose quality of sperm is gradually deteriorating.

What is testicular sperm extraction?

In men with no sperm in their semen, or in those who cannot ejaculate, such as men with spinal cord injuries, it is necessary to extract sperm surgically in order to fertilise eggs during IVF treatment. Sperm obtained using any of these procedures will usually have poor movement and will need to be directly injected into each egg. This process is known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

What is ovarian tissue cryopreservation?

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is used for patients who are unable to freeze their eggs or for young girls who have not yet started ovulating. The operation involves removing some ovarian tissue prior to cancer treatment, which is then frozen. This tissue can then be put back into the ovaries to support the regeneration of the cells after a medical treatment.

To book an appointment with Dr Irfana Koita, head on over to her Top Doctors profile today.