Egg freezing
Egg freezing stores your eggs at today's age so they can be used later. Women choose it to keep their options open, or before medical treatment that could harm their fertility. Married couples can freeze embryos instead.
With Datuk Dr. Navdeep Singh Pannu, FRCOG, at Alpha IVF & Women's Specialists, Kota Damansara
- Injections
- About 9–10 days, checked with scans
- Egg collection
- A day procedure, under light sedation
- Storage
- In liquid nitrogen at −196 °C
- Best results
- The younger the eggs are when frozen
What it is
The first part is the same as IVF: hormone injections help several eggs mature, and they are collected from the ovaries with a fine needle while you are sedated. Instead of being fertilised, the mature eggs are frozen straight away.
Eggs are frozen by vitrification, a very fast freezing method that stops ice crystals forming, and stored in liquid nitrogen. When you are ready, they are thawed, fertilised with sperm by ICSI, and an embryo is placed in the womb.
Married couples can freeze embryos instead: the eggs are fertilised with the partner's sperm first, and the embryos are frozen. Embryos are used in a frozen embryo transfer, but they belong to you both, so any later decisions about them are joint ones.
Before cancer treatment, time is short, so tell your cancer doctor as soon as possible that you want to preserve your fertility. Egg collection can often be arranged within about two weeks, starting at any point in the cycle. Men can freeze sperm too: see male fertility.
Who it can help
- Women who want to have children later
- Before chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery that may affect the ovaries
- Endometriosis or ovarian cysts that may need surgery
- A family history of early menopause
- Couples who prefer to store eggs rather than embryos, or embryos rather than eggs
How it works
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Egg reserve check
An AMH blood test and a scan to count the follicles give an idea of how many eggs to expect.
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Ovarian stimulation
Daily hormone injections for about 9–10 days, with scans to follow the follicles and adjust the dose.
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Egg collection
About 36 hours after a trigger injection, the eggs are collected under light sedation. You go home the same day.
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Freezing
The mature eggs are vitrified on the day and stored safely until you need them.
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Using them later
When you are ready, the eggs are thawed and fertilised, and the best embryo is transferred to your womb.
Good to know
Side effects and risks
- Side effects from the injections, such as bloating and mood changes
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), kept low by careful dosing and monitoring
- Mild cramps or spotting after collection; bleeding or infection are rare
No guarantees
Frozen eggs do not guarantee a baby. The chances depend mostly on your age when they are frozen and how many eggs are stored. Some women choose more than one cycle to bank more eggs.
Age matters most
Egg quality falls with age, especially after 35, so freezing earlier gives better odds. Dr. Navdeep will give you a realistic idea of what to expect from your own tests.
Costs
There is a cost for each cycle and a yearly storage fee. Ask for the current figures at your consultation; his egg freezing guide answers common questions.
Questions people ask
How many eggs should I freeze?
It depends on your age and how many eggs each cycle gives. You will plan this together after your AMH and scan results.
Do frozen eggs survive thawing?
Most eggs frozen by vitrification survive thawing, but not all, which is one reason to store more than a few.
Can I keep working during the injections?
Yes. Most women carry on as normal, and take the day of the egg collection off.
Is it safe for future babies?
Studies of babies born from frozen eggs have been reassuring, and long-term follow-up continues.
Should we freeze eggs or embryos?
Embryos give more information, since you know how many developed, but they need a partner's sperm and both of you to agree on their use later. Eggs keep the choice open. You can talk this through at your consultation.
Further reading
This page is general information and does not take your personal circumstances into account. Please speak to your doctor for advice that is right for you. Disclaimers