Egg freezing

Women of reproductive age can freeze their eggs. However, it's important to consider that egg quality is correlated with a woman's age, so this procedure should not be delayed too late in the fertile period.

There are many reasons why a woman may want or need to freeze her eggs. The most common reasons include that family planning is not currently on the agenda, the relationship with the partner is not stable, financial considerations, educational and employment situations. There are also medical reasons that may justify egg freezing, such as the risk of early menopause, endometriosis, or severe illnesses like cancer where the treatment may harm the ovaries.

Freezing eggs can help fulfill the dream of having children at a later stage in life.

The ovarian reserve, which represents the stock of eggs in the ovaries, decreases with age, and the quality of eggs is also correlated with a woman's age. The general recommendation in Sweden is that egg freezing should ideally be done before the age of 38, but an individual assessment is always made.

During the initial visit to the clinic for an egg freezing procedure, an ultrasound examination is conducted to assess the egg reserve in the ovaries. General health and any medications are also considered in the evaluation before recommending whether to start the treatment or not. A cycle involving the retrieval and freezing of eggs is similar to the initial steps of an IVF treatment.

A brief overview of the steps involved in egg freezing:

1. Hormone Stimulation: Hormone injections are administered to stimulate egg production.
2. Follicle Monitoring: Regular checks are performed to ensure the desired growth of egg-containing follicles in response to hormones. The egg retrieval typically occurs around treatment day 12–14 in the cycle, but the exact timing is determined based on ultrasound assessments.
3. Triggering Ovulation: When the maturation process is complete, an ovulation trigger shot is given 36 hours before the planned egg retrieval.
4. Egg Retrieval: Eggs are collected using a needle guided by ultrasound, with local anesthesia and pain relief provided.
5. Quality Check and Freezing: Embryologists assess the quality of the eggs, and mature eggs are frozen using a special technique called vitrification.
6. Recovery: Most individuals feel well after the egg retrieval, but driving is not recommended due to the pain relief provided. Many can return to work the day after the procedure.
7. Storage: Eggs can be stored frozen until the woman decides to use or discard them.
8. Thawing and Fertilization: When thawed, eggs are fertilized before being cultured for 2–5 days. Afterward, embryos are transferred back into the uterus. The fertilization process for thawed eggs follows the same routine as in IVF.

Feel free to contact our fertility clinics for a more detailed explanation of the procedure.

Every woman is unique, and the number of eggs generated in a single treatment depends on the egg reserve and age. Since there is no guarantee that matured eggs can be fertilized and divide, the recommendation is to freeze at least 20 eggs. This maximizes the chances of future pregnancy. Most women need to undergo two or more treatments to achieve the desired number of eggs in storage.

Please note that individual assessments are always made, and all women have different circumstances.

As with regular IVF, the outcome depends on various factors such as age, medical considerations, and egg reserve. The age of the woman donating the eggs at the time of retrieval plays a role in the quality of the eggs and how well they withstand freezing and thawing. Survival rates during thawing vary between 90-95%.