Freezing eggs is now a viable procedure for those who want to delay pregnancy or who want to reserve the option to get pregnant later in life. The procedure is just as important for patients with Endometriosis and Diminished Ovarian Reserve (Endo causes DOR) who are in their mid 20’s or older and want to hold off on getting pregnant.
The process involves in vitro fertilization cycle stimulation followed by the harvesting of eggs, which are immediately frozen for long-term storage. With state-of-the-art technology, we can preserve eggs for over 100 years. By saving roughly 15 eggs, we believe that we can ensure a more than 90% chance of live birth and maybe two births out of the batch.
The best time to freeze is as soon as you think it may be necessary–the younger a woman is at the time of stimulation, the more eggs can be harvested that have a greater chance of viability. The process may not be feasible for women over 38 years of age, except in unique circumstances.
More reproductive education is needed across the board and at the high school level to teach women about fertility and the best ages for preserving eggs.
Freezing eggs is also an effective procedure for young women with cancer who are going through chemotherapy, which can destroy most or all eggs in the ovaries.
Thankfully, the procedure is easily accessible and can be performed at our facility. Call our office at (904) 493-2229 for more information.