All about egg vitrification
What is oocyte vitrification?
Oocyte vitrification is the process by which a woman can freeze her eggs to preserve her fertility and conserve her reproductive material for the future. This allows her to postpone motherhood without her biological material being damaged by the passage of time.
So who is egg vitrification for?
It's well known that we're postponing motherhood more and more each day. The reasons are varied: studies, work, relationships, etc. In any case, Becoming a mother after 30 or even after 40 is no longer anything new or strange.
However, we encounter a contradiction: when we socially desire to be mothers, we are no longer at the ideal biological stage to do so. In other words, social age and biological age do not align.
One way to maintain our biological age in optimal condition to be able to be mothers in the future, having the highest quality eggs, is by freezing them and using them in the future thanks to assisted reproduction techniques.
The first thing you should know is that oocyte vitrification is a technique for preserving fertility. two large groups of women. The first is in cases of an illness that requires medical treatment that damages or may damage reproductive material, as is the case with... cancer treatments.In this case, storing the eggs before this treatment protects them from any damage. The other large group consists of women who have a low ovarian reserve. This is either because they have a genetically low ovarian reserve or because, due to age, there is a lower quantity of oocytes or their quality may decrease.
The process of egg retrieval through ovarian stimulation
To preserve fertility, we must go to an assisted reproduction center. We should know that fertility declines after age 35, so if we are planning to postpone childbearing, we should consult a fertility clinic. motherhood after that ageIt is important to go to a reproduction center to have our ovarian reserve checked and to assess the freezing of eggs.
In oocyte vitrification, the first step is a stimulation cycle. This stimulation involves medical monitoring and medication to encourage the growth of multiple follicles. Each follicle may contain one mature oocyte; therefore, the gynecologist will monitor the procedure to obtain the maximum number of high-quality oocytes for a higher success rate. These oocytes will be retrieved during follicular aspiration under sedation.
The process of freezing in liquid nitrogen
Once the gynecologist has performed the follicular stimulation and subsequent puncture and has obtained the eggs, these are processed in the reproduction laboratory to evaluate their quality and prepare them for vitrification in liquid nitrogen.
This freezing process causes the material to freeze instantly and behave like glass, lowering the temperature immediately and creating ice crystals that preserve the material. In this way, it can be preserve for years or decades or until the woman decides to thaw them for use or to destroy them if she so chooses.
The time to defrost or devitrify
When a woman who has undergone the egg vitrification process wants to thaw the material for use, she only needs to go to the assisted reproduction clinic and indicate this so that an in vitro fertilization process and subsequent transfer can begin.
The steps would be the following
- Preparing a woman's body to receive the possible embryos, ultrasound checks and blood tests.
- Preparation of the male part, Semen analysis and testing or preparation of the semen bank sample if necessary.
- When a woman's cycle is ready, thaw the vitrified oocytes and they are fertilized in the laboratory using IVF with the ICSI technique
- The value is growth and development of embryos and their quality. If required, their genetic makeup can be analyzed using Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis or PGD; in this case, the embryo transfer would be in a separate cycle.
- Perform the embryo transfer, Whether fresh or frozen, the embryos are transferred to the mother's uterus. If several embryos are obtained, those not transferred are vitrified again, with very good survival rates.
- Beta wait, time to wait and be able to find out if the embryo has implanted and there is a pregnancy.
Following this process, the growth of the embryos and the evolution of everything Pregnancy is exactly the same whether it was achieved naturally or through assisted reproduction.What does change is that a 40-year-old woman who froze her eggs at 30 is now getting pregnant from her own eggs at 30, and not only did she have more eggs, but they are of higher quality and have a lower risk of miscarriage and complications.
Therefore, oocyte vitrification in liquid nitrogen is a great option for women with low ovarian reserve or for cancer patients who wish to preserve their fertility. With excellent pregnancy rates thanks to the in vitro fertilization after devitrification, whenever the woman desires.
A woman can decide when it's her time to become a mother thanks to fertility preservation.
How much does egg vitrification cost?
Okay, now you know who oocyte vitrification is for and what the process is like.
But how much does it cost? What is the price of egg freezing?
Perhaps you've considered that egg vitrification might be right for you, and the next question is whether you can afford it. Here's a breakdown of the financial aspects you'll need to consider to preserve your fertility.
- Ovarian stimulation treatment. The medical treatment must be paid for. In this case, you should consult with the assisted reproduction center to find out their price. Keep in mind that you can visit two or three clinics, but the prices are very similar. The important thing is that you feel comfortable with the clinic and the professionals who treat you.
- The cost of medication: You will need to pay for the medication for the stimulation procedure separately from the clinic. Each woman may require very different medication. It is important that you ask your doctor to estimate the medication you will need.
- The maintenance of oocytes. A specific amount is usually stipulated for each year of maintenance. You should inquire about this before undergoing stimulation to have a clear understanding of the entire budget and a comprehensive overview, not just the cost of ovarian stimulation.
- Thawing and IVF. At the time of thawing, the in vitro fertilization procedure and embryo transfer must be paid for. In this case, if sperm bank services or additional tests such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis are required, these will also be added to the total cost.
This will be the total price of the entire process, including egg freezing and subsequent treatments.
However, keep in mind that you might freeze the material and then not use it because you conceive naturally, decide not to have children, or the procedure doesn't work. At this point, the important thing isn't the cost of the procedure, but the fact that you've secured your motherhood as much as possible. The possibility of being able to choose when you want, and that is the most valuable thing about the whole process of oocyte vitrification.
Then,
Is it worth freezing eggs?
My personal opinion is yes, absolutely. It's better to regret freezing your eggs than not doing it, or not trying. Besides, the success rates are very good, and as you've seen, it's a simple and routine procedure for assisted reproduction centers.