Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a medical procedure that allows individuals to preserve their fertility by extracting, freezing, and storing their eggs for future use. This option is often chosen by women who wish to delay childbearing for personal, professional, or medical reasons, such as undergoing treatments like chemotherapy that may affect fertility. The process involves hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries, followed by egg retrieval and freezing using advanced techniques like vitrification, which helps prevent ice crystal formation and preserves egg quality. Egg freezing offers the potential for pregnancy later in life, although success rates can vary based on age and other factors.
Reasons for Considering Egg Freezing
- Delaying pregnancy for career or personal goals
- Medical treatments that may impact fertility (e.g., chemotherapy)
- Family history of early menopause
- Preservation of reproductive options for transgender individuals
Key Steps in the Egg Freezing Process
- Hormonal stimulation to produce multiple eggs
- Monitoring through blood tests and ultrasounds
- Egg retrieval performed under sedation
- Freezing and storage using vitrification techniques