Egg freezing

Egg freezing is a medical strategy to suspend fertility in time, preventing the decrease in quality and quantity that inevitably comes with age. Biology aside, the best time to have a baby is an incredibly personal decision and one that takes significant thought and consideration. Patients may choose to freeze their eggs for many reasons. Anthony Imudia, M.D., who sees patients at SGF’s Wesley Chapel and Tampa – Westshore, Florida offices provides the five steps in an egg freezing cycle.   
 
After completing ovarian reserve testing, the physician consultation, and deciding to move forward with egg freezing, patients work with their physician and nursing team to determine a timeline of when to start an egg freezing cycle. From birth control to the actual freezing of the eggs, the egg freezing cycle is comprised of 5 main steps: 

Step One: 

Birth Control: 2-3 weeks 

Birth control pills are used to help follicles grow at the same rate so that their subsequent stimulation can be synchronized but can also help with scheduling flexibility. Birth control pills enable us to  manipulate when the patient wants their ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval to be. Upon selecting a retrieval week, your SGF care team can work backwards to select a start date. 

Step Two: 

Egg Freezing Cycle Day 1: 10-12 days, 6-9 monitoring appointments 

Upon the start of your menstrual cycle, or after stopping birth control pills, patients will initiate daily injectable medications of the natural hormones follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The medications are higher doses of hormones that replicate the natural hormones your body produces to mature one egg. The goal is to stimulate the growth and development of multiple eggs to freeze than what your body would do naturally.  

During this time, patients come to SGF for regular monitoring appointments, which include bloodwork and an ultrasound to ensure that follicles are growing appropriately and to change medication dosage, if necessary. This is about a 10–15-minute appointment that can be scheduled as early as 7:00 a.m. at many of the SGF offices. This enables patients to go to work as normal without disrupting your day.  

Because the medications are natural, there are no unique side effects; but because the ovaries are becoming larger, there may be abdominal discomfort or bloating. Similarly, estrogen levels are increased, so the patient may experience heightened PMS symptoms. 

Step Three: 

The Trigger injection 

At the end of the stimulation period, the patient will be instructed to take a trigger injection. This injection helps the eggs mature and prepares the body for the egg retrieval. 

Step Four: 

Egg retrieval 

Two days following the trigger injection, the patient goes to one of SGF’s procedure centers for the egg retrieval. This intra-vaginal procedure takes place while the patient is under IV sedation, so they are asleep and pain-free. Even though the procedure is relatively quick, because of the effect of anesthesia, it is required that someone is available to drive the patient home. This is the only day the patient would miss work. 

Step Five: 

Freezing the retrieved eggs 

Once retrieved, embryologists evaluate the eggs to determine which ones are matured and will freeze only the matured eggs. Eggs are frozen using vitrification, an ultra-rapid cooling process, and are then stored in liquid nitrogen for long-term storage. The patient is contacted the following day to let her know how many eggs were frozen. 7-14 days after the retrieval, the patient can expect to have their period. 

On average, each egg freezing patient completes two egg freezing cycles to reach the recommended number of eggs. Not every egg will result in a pregnancy when couples try to conceive on their own, and the same truth applies when you freeze your eggs. Thus, SGF recommends that women 37 or younger who have excellent ovarian reserve function freeze between 15 to 20 matured eggs. For women over 37, or women at any age with diminished ovarian function, we recommend freezing 25 to 30 eggs. This provides the patient with multiple attempts to conceive.  

Learn more about egg freezing

Medical contribution by Anthony N. Imudia, M.D.

Anthony Imudia, M.D., is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. He is currently the Division Director and Fellowship Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, USF Morsani College of Medicine. Dr. Imudia sees patients at SGF’s Wesley Chapel and Tampa – Westshore, Florida offices.

Egg freezing is a personal decision which takes thought and consideration. The best way to make the decision to freeze your eggs is to have as much information as possible. Dr. Candice B. O’Hern Perfetto, who practices at SGF’s Texas Medical Center and Memorial City offices in Houston, Texas, provides the facts on egg freezing in a brief Q&A.  

What would be your advice to a woman considering egg freezing? 

Fertility preservation gives women flexibility in their future family planning.  It affords women the opportunity to preserve fertility at their current age while they focus on their personal or professional goals.  I encourage anyone who is considering it to consult with a fertility specialist. Your physician will discuss your family planning goals and assess your ovarian reserve. With this information s/he can help guide you through the egg freezing process, as well as inform you of your individual chance of success. Working with a physician to understand your fertility will help empower you to understand if you are a potential candidate for egg freezing.  

Does tobacco, drug, or alcohol use affect egg quality? Are there other dietary considerations for women considering this process? 

While there isn’t a prescribed fertility diet to improve egg quality or overall fertility, there are certain recommendations I offer my patients. First, it is recommend that anyone who is considering egg freezing or pregnancy improve their overall health by: quitting smoking, drinking alcohol and eliminate use of illegal substances. It is also important to maintain a healthy weight. This can be accomplished by focusing on a healthy diet filled with fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates and reduce excessive animal proteins, as well as getting regular exercise.   

How long can eggs be frozen before they’re not viable? 

The good news is that eggs can be frozen indefinitely with the current vitrification technology. However, our age cutoff for women returning to use their frozen eggs is a patient’s 51^st birthday. 

What do you see as the future of egg freezing? 

At Shady Grove Fertility, we are constantly striving to improve our egg freezing outcomes and success rates. That being said, egg freezing technology has never been better and I would discourage anyone to “wait” for the future. If you are considering egg freezing, then this is the time for a consultation.  

While egg freezing seems common, what are things to look for when selecting a fertility center? 

Egg freezing continues to grow in popularity; however, compared to other fertility treatments there are less published studies and success rates vary widely. Patients look at many criteria when selecting a fertility provider including cost and convenience, but all women should be asking their provider for published success rates for egg freezing.  

Shady Grove Fertility is a leader in reproductive research and technological development — providing women who are contemplating freezing their eggs data, based on extensive, unique research, and significant experience in the process. 

Egg freezing success rates at Shady Grove Fertility

Medical contribution by Candice B. O’Hern (Perfetto), M.D.

Candice B. O’Hern (Perfetto), M.D., is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) as well as reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI). Dr. Perfetto received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.

To learn more about egg freezing at Shady Grove Fertility or to schedule an appointment, call 1-877-411-9292 or submit this brief online form.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in August 2019, and has been updated for content accuracy and comprehensiveness as of July 2022.

Most of us live by our calendars and our “to-do” lists. We plan for the future. We often plan for schooling, jobs, and saving up money for a house or retirement. Egg freezing can be a big decision, but it can also be an amazing gift to yourself. Having options in life is something that we all value. This same mindset can be taken with your fertility. The process of egg freezing allows you to have the option of having a baby later in life, when you’re ready, without the pressure of a ticking biological clock.

Give yourself the gift of time with egg freezing.

Egg Freezing Provides Answers

When you schedule an appointment at Shady Grove Fertility for an egg freezing consult, your fertility will be tested first to evaluate your current fertility status. More than 90% of our patients with insurance have coverage for the initial testing and clinical consultation to review results and receive a recommendation.

The testing that takes place is called ovarian reserve testing. At Shady Grove Fertility, the purpose of this testing is to determine the quantity of eggs a woman has remaining.

The egg quantity and egg quality are checked in order to ensure that you have enough healthy eggs to yield a pregnancy when you are ready to start a family. It measures several hormone levels between days 2, 3, or 4 of your menstrual cycle, including:

• E2 (estrogen)
• FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone)
• AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone)
• LH (luteinizing hormone)

In addition, a physician will perform a transvaginal ultrasound to view the uterine and ovarian anatomy. This allows a physician to count the small resting (antral) follicles. These are a key indicator of your ovarian reserve, as well as a reference of how you will respond to fertility medication. The scheduled appointment should only take about 30 minutes.

After the initial testing, you will have the opportunity to discuss your results with a Shady Grove Fertility clinician. The purpose of this discussion is to decide if egg freezing is the right choice for you at this time.

Egg Freezing Allows You to Plan Financially

After you complete your baseline testing and clinical consult, you will have an opportunity to meet with a dedicated Financial Counselor who will review all of your financial options. There are several different financial options to choose from.

Your ‘Future Self’ Will Thank You

As women, sometimes it’s hard to put ourselves first. Many of us are in the mindset of giving to others, rather than ourselves, which is beautiful thing; however, when it comes to your fertility, your options diminish the longer you wait. Therefore, Shady Grove Fertility makes it possible and affordable to reserve your options for when you’re ready.

“Egg freezing gives me the opportunity to hold onto my own self interests. I am realistic that the journey will not be perfect, but I do believe it will be better than not trying at all.  And this is a better chance to be able to do things my way, as I continue to progress through the natural aging process.” – Radell Peischler, Former Shady Grove Fertility Egg Freezing Patient.

“Egg freezing is an investment in the future and probably the best one I’ve ever made. I no longer have to worry about my biological clock ticking as I rebuild my life. No matter how old I am if or when I decide to have another child, my eggs will always be 36. As my eggs wait to be thawed one day, medicine continues to advance, and the statistics continue to improve. How lucky are women to have this gift?! As I prepare for one more cycle, the only regret I have is that I didn’t freeze my eggs sooner.” – Rachel, Former Shady Grove Fertility Egg Freezing Patient.

Looking for more information? Watch our Egg Freezing On-Demand Webinar, available for viewing at your convenience.S

If you are interested in giving yourself the gift of egg freezing, you can schedule an appointment directly with a Shady Grove Fertility specialist without a referral by calling 1-877-411-9292 or by completing our brief online form. 

Medical contribution by Joseph Doyle, M.D.

Joseph Doyle, M.D., is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Dr. Doyle is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, for which he has developed education modules and served as an ad hoc reviewer, and the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He sees patients at SGF’s Rockville, Maryland office. 

The tick-tock of the biological clock has long been a source of stress for women who envision children in their futures. Thanks to advancements in reproductive science, women who want children (just not right now) have options. Through egg freezing, a snooze alarm of sorts is set to take off some of the pregnancy-now pressure off, allowing women to pursue family growth plans when they’re ready to do so.

The concept of egg freezing isn’t a new one. In fact, the first baby conceived using a frozen egg was born over 30 years ago, in 1986. But much has changed since this procedural first. At Shady Grove Fertility alone, we have seen an increase in the number of women seeking egg freezing since 2013. If you’re considering preserving your fertility via egg freezing, fully exploring the likely outcomes of the procedure is a solid, first step.

Dr. Joseph Doyle of our Rockville, MD office regularly works with patients who want to freeze their eggs, guiding them through the egg retrieval and preservation process and again when they are ready to thaw and fertilize their preserved eggs. Today, he walks us through some of the egg-freezing-related statistics that potential patients should consider when deciding when and if to pursue this procedure.

Why are so many more women freezing their eggs than ever before?

Dr. Doyle: While egg freezing has been possible for quite some time, it’s only recently become more commonplace. These days, more women are likely to have friends, family members, or coworkers who have undergone egg cryopreservation, thereby increasing the likelihood of consideration and interest.

To that end, it wasn’t until recently that our SGF team started promoting egg freezing. We want what’s best for the women who come to us and didn’t want to push them towards egg freezing until we had a dependable number of thaw outcomes that made us confident in this procedure as a viable fertility preservation option.

What’s the ideal age for egg freezing?

Dr. Doyle: We recommend that women consider egg freezing in their mid-thirties. It’s essential not to wait too long to initiate the freezing process, as the older you get, the more eggs you’ll need to freeze to get the same probability of pregnancy. We also caution patients against freezing eggs too early as the earlier you freeze, the less likely you are to end up using your frozen eggs.

How long do women usually wait before returning to use their eggs?

Dr. Doyle: Our data suggests that women are waiting, on average, 2-4 years after freezing their eggs before returning to use them. However, we need to view this data contextually. While we have frozen eggs for nearly 2,000 patients, around 498 patients have returned to thaw their eggs so far. As more of these women return to use their eggs, we expect the average time between egg freezing and egg use to continue to increase.

What is the likelihood that I will be able to have a baby using my frozen eggs?

Dr. Doyle: Freezing your eggs does not guarantee that you will be able to have a baby one day, but it does offer you a good chance of growing your family when you’re ready. Your chance is particularly strong if you follow suggested freezing guidelines, including freezing between 15 and 30 eggs—the exact number depends on your age.

Our data shows that women under the age of 38 have a 70 to 80 percent likelihood of taking home a baby if they freeze between 15 and 20 eggs. We’ve also found that 84 percent of all frozen eggs will survive our thawing process. And, of the surviving eggs, 71 percent will become successfully fertilized.

Another way of looking at this is the likelihood of a live birth per egg thaw cycle. Reviewing our statistics for women under 38 years old, between 40 to 45 percent of women will have a live birth if they thaw 8 to 9 eggs. At first glance, this may seem low, but it’s important to keep in mind that this figure represents your rate of success per thaw cycle, not your rate of success per batch of frozen eggs. We typically do not thaw all of the eggs a patient has frozen at once. Though there are different strategies in approaching this, we [generally] thaw around 10 eggs per round.

What if I want more than one baby?

Dr. Doyle: The primary goal of egg freezing is to ensure the birth of one healthy child; however, we certainly have had individuals who have had more than one child using their frozen eggs. In fact, 38 percent of all SGF egg-freezing patients end up with extra embryos each thaw cycle. Patients with additional embryos have, on average, three additional embryos that they can freeze and use for later attempts at pregnancy.

Is there any guarantee I’ll end up with a baby?

Dr. Doyle: While there is no guarantee you’ll be able to have a baby — even if you freeze your eggs — we do offer a financial guarantee to our patients through our Shared Risk 100% Refund Program for Returning Egg Freezing Patients.

As we have continued to gather data daily on egg thawing, we have grown increasingly confident in this procedure. And we back this confidence with a money-back guarantee, a program that we call Shared Risk. Patients who participate in our Shared Risk 100% Refund Program can receive their money back should their attempts at having a child using their frozen eggs prove unsuccessful. As with any SGF treatment plan, our goal is for you to take home a baby, and we do everything we can to help you grow your family—when the timing is right for you.

To learn more about egg freezing or to schedule an appointment, call 1-877-411-9292 to speak with a new patient liaison.

This post was originally published in August 2017 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness as of February 2020.