How Technology Has Evolved for Freezing Eggs
Eight years ago former Miss World from India, Diana Hayden, made the decision to freeze her eggs. At the time, egg freezing was primarily utilized by women in their 20s and 30s who were about to begin powerful cancer treatment that would likely affect their potential for reproduction using their own eggs. That procedure, known as oncofertility preservation, is still used today helping cancer survivors realize their dreams of motherhood. However, back in 2008, for many parts of the world, the technology involved slow-freezing the eggs, which often caused a crystallization effect in the egg, ultimately damaging it making it unusable for future use. To counter this damage effect, vitrification, a flash-freeze method, moved to the forefront. While available in the U.S. since 2009, it wasn’t until 2012 when the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) lifted the “experimental” label and declared it a viable option for elective fertility preservation.
Fortunately for Hayden, in India, the more reliable vitrification has been available for a decade.
Freezing Eggs for Time and Marriage
After being crowned Miss World in 1997, Hayden stayed in the spotlight becoming a successful actress and TV personality. Thus it was notable when she declared publicly that she would use egg freezing to extend her future fertility and wait for the right person to begin a family with. After the birth of her daughter, Hayden told the Times of India, “I froze my eggs for two reasons: I was busy with my career at that time and, more important, I was very clear that I was going to wait to fall in love and marry before having a baby.” She describes first reading about egg freezing in 2005 and ultimately freezing 16 eggs three years later, at the age of 32.
Eight Years after Freezing, Endometriosis and a Miracle
In 2013, at age 40, Hayden married and was subsequently diagnosed with endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial tissue (tissue that lines the inside of the uterus) grows outside the uterus, and makes normal egg production difficult regardless of age. At age 40 it was necessary for Hayden and her husband to use one of her frozen eggs.
Diana Hayden’s successful pregnancy emphasizes the importance of being proactive. In India, Hayden is being hailed as a potential “poster woman” for egg freezing, but it’s important to caution American women that the data is still relatively limited, given we haven’t been using vitrification quite as long. In December Shady Grove Fertility’s medical director, Eric A. Widra, M.D., who is also the chair of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology’s (SART) practice committee, told Parents.com, “Believe me, I think it’s a game-changing technology, and I’m super-enthusiastic about it, particularly for women who know they want children and want an insurance policy for the future. But to say that egg thawing is a perfectly well-established technology… it’s a little hard to say that. I think we need to be honest and realistic with people about exactly how much we know.”
At Shady Grove Fertility we encourage women to research the procedure and schedule a consultation with one of our physicians to discuss their personal situation, potential success rates, and the benefits of freezing eggs.
To learn more about our egg freezing program call 1-877-411-9292 or click here to schedule an appointment. Read more about Diana Hayden.
