Last Updated on March 24, 2023 by
If you’re considering egg freezing and started your inquiry, you’re likely finding a lot of data that may be very daunting. Not to worry! Here are eight key details regarding this possibly life-changing medical operation to help you arrange your thoughts.
But first, what exactly is egg freezing? An assisted reproductive technology (ART) method, such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), may need the usage of frozen eggs later. This process is known as cryopreservation in medical language. Several egg freezing clinics in Chandigarh and other cities that provide this service at an affordable price.
- Egg Freezing Doesn’t Give 100% Guarantee
Let’s begin with a frequent misunderstanding (no pun intended): Egg freezing isn’t necessarily a foolproof means of assuring your everlasting fertility, even if it may relieve some of your worry in regards to knowing that you can plan for a baby in the coming years.
Why? Not all of the eggs you freeze will be viable; in this case, consider both number and quality. Depending on what’s your age, where & when you froze the eggs (more on this later), and how many are healthy and viable after they are taken out of storage determines the number of eggs that survive the warming procedure and can be effectively fertilized. Additionally, as fertility does decline with age, if you store your eggs at 25 and use them at 35, you’ll have to deal with the challenges of conceiving and carrying a child at that time.
Only you and your doctor can determine if that’s the best course of action for you. However, it’s crucial to understand beforehand that you can’t simply freeze your eggs and then forget about them.
- Age Matters
The best time to freeze your eggs, as per the trusted sources, is between your 20s and young 30s when you have a bigger ovarian reserve as well as healthier eggs. You may learn a lot about the condition of your ovarian reserve and determine, with the support of your physician, if egg freezing is the appropriate option for you by getting your fertility hormones analyzed (using, for instance, Modern Fertility!). Nevertheless, anyone older than 38 should avoid freezing their eggs.
- Egg Harvesting Process Is Intense
Even before the eggs are frozen, many steps are involved in this process. Blood will be obtained first to assess your ovarian reserve and check for infectious disorders. You could also get an ultrasound to check on your complete ovarian function. Then, you’ll take medication to stop you from ovulating prior to egg retrieval while also stimulating your ovaries to create a lot of follicles, the fluid-filled sacs that store and protect your eggs, using synthetic hormones.
You will administer injectable HCG to aid in egg maturation once an ultrasound has determined that your follicles are prepared for egg retrieval. In addition to the retrieval itself, a transvaginal ultrasound aspiration also takes place in a doctor’s office (yes, you can be anesthetized for this procedure). Your vagina is probed with an ultrasound device to find the mature follicles. Your doctor will next use suction to retrieve each egg one at a time after inserting a long, thin needle into the ovaries through the vaginal canal.
The highest possibility of acquiring a healthy, mature egg that can be fertilized is provided by removing numerous eggs at once. In a procedure known as vitrification, the eggs are flash-frozen in nitrogen gas after being extracted (which typically takes less than half-hour). Comparing liquid nitrogen vitrification to the more traditional “slow freezing” method, the survival rate of eggs is considerably increased. According to recent research, eggs that were vitrified had a 91 percent survival rate compared to eggs that were frozen gradually, which had a 61 percent survival rate.
- Great Option If You Had Some Health Problems
You might be able to maintain your present fertility with egg freezing. If you need surgery that might harm your ovaries, have a disease that could harm your ovaries, or have cancer that needs chemotherapy or radiation (both of which could impair your fertility). Talking to your doctor about whether or not you’re a good candidate for egg freezing may also be beneficial if you learn that you have a family history of early menopause, Turner’s Syndrome (a chromosomal abnormality associated with a risk of premature ovarian failure), or a genetic mutation (like BRCA, which can predispose one to develop breast and ovarian cancer).
- It’s Costly
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the price of the operation and what your insurance may or may not cover if you’re thinking of freezing your eggs. The price of an egg-freezing cycle ranges from $15,0000 to $ 17,0000, according to femelife.com. Additionally, don’t forget to factor in the price of egg storage, which may cost up to $30,000 each year depending on where you go – some egg freezing clinics offer the first year of storage for free. Loans and other forms of funding are frequently available at clinics, along with shared risk alternatives and packages.
The Bottom Line-:
It is pivotal to consider the above facts before choosing any egg-freezing clinic near you!
