Egg Freezing: Promise of Reproductive Options

Oocyte cryopreservation, more commonly known as egg freezing, is an increasingly popular topic of discussion in the media and among women of the reproductive age. Why? Perhaps it is because egg freezing is the first major advancement in medicine since the birth control pill to potentially empower women to take more control of reproductive health. Egg freezing preserves a woman’s current fertility increasing the chances of achieving pregnancy at a later age. At Shady Grove Fertility, we are excited to be among the first to offer this cutting edge technology.

As the leading fertility center in the country, we are encouraged by our freeze, thaw, and pregnancy data using frozen eggs and frozen embryo transfers (FETs). Based on historical success rates, we believe egg freezing is a viable option for women who choose to freeze their eggs and come back later for pregnancy. While we are optimistic about this new option, it is important for women considering egg freezing to understand that like all medical treatment, nothing is 100% guaranteed. According to Shady Grove Fertility Medical Director, Eric A. Widra, M.D.:

“Successfully freezing and thawing eggs has been a long sought goal in reproductive medicine. To see it come to fruition for donor egg and elective fertility preservation programs is one of the most exciting developments in our field of medicine. This technology holds the unprecedented promise of increasing reproductive freedom and family planning options for women. However, like any new technology, we should be careful not to overstate its potential. While the number of women freezing their eggs is rapidly growing, the number of pregnancies and children born after thawing the eggs is still very small.

This is an exciting opportunity for women and their doctors. We are extremely proud and enthusiastic about our preservation program. But the message that you can freeze your eggs now and be certain of a family later implies an insurance policy that is guaranteed to pay out – time will tell if that is true.”

Egg freezing is medical breakthrough designed to extend fertility potential for women who think they may not be in a position to currently conceive. The perfect age to freeze is difficult to define, and it becomes a personal decision for each woman based on her circumstances and goals. However, from a purely clinical perspective, the best time to freeze eggs to optimize pregnancy rates if they are used later, is in the early to mid 30’s when fertility is still near its peak. We evaluate women who are interested in freezing by measuring their ovarian reserve – the quantity of eggs available in the ovaries. We do this by combining the results of a blood test to evaluate reproductive hormonal values with an ultrasound which shows the number resting follicles/eggs in the ovaries. The results will provide a strong indication of your ovarian reserve, and based on that information you and your physician can decide if egg freezing is right for you.