Egg Freezing: What You Need to Know

Are you hearing the ticking of your biological clock as you contemplate your future, but find that you’re not yet ready to start your family? Or are you being forced to choose between remaining fertile versus treatment for a serious medical condition such as cancer? Egg freezing may be your best option for ensuring your success at having a child in the future.

Dr. Deborah Smith is a well-known Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist who leads our top-rate team at Rocky Mountain Fertility Center. Our main office is in Parker, Colorado, and we have a satellite facility in Rapid City, South Dakota. 

Dr. Smith has significant insight regarding the advanced technology and innovative medical techniques that make egg freezing possible for women who are considering delaying pregnancy. It’s our great pleasure to offer advanced techniques like egg freezing at Rocky Mountain Fertility Center in a warm and caring atmosphere that makes you feel welcome. And our success rate is one of the highest in the nation.

Here’s what Dr. Smith wants to share about egg freezing and what it means for women seeking an alternative to starting their family now.

Egg freezing defined

Egg freezing is an in-office procedure, during which Dr. Smith removes oocytes (eggs) from your ovaries and preserves them for a future pregnancy. A healthy, mature egg stored via cryopreservation (the method used to preserve the oocytes) can remain viable for a decade or longer. There is, in fact, no clear evidence that the viability of frozen eggs declines over time.

And for women who are unwilling to freeze healthy embryos, it’s important to note that egg freezing preserves only non-fertilized eggs which must be inseminated with sperm before developing into a successful pregnancy.

Who might consider egg freezing?

Egg freezing has become an effective solution for women who are interested in delaying pregnancy for now but want to ensure they have a store of healthy eggs for future use.

You might consider undergoing the procedure if you:

• Prefer egg preservation to embryo freezing during in vitro fertilization (IVF)
• Have a medical condition, such as sickle cell anemia, that might interfere with fertility as you age
• Are facing chemotherapy or other treatments that can affect fertility
• Have a family history of early menopause
• Are planning to undergo surgery that may damage your ovaries
• Are considering having your ovaries removed due to genetic issues, i.e. BRCA mutation

Also, many women are opting to have children in their late 30s and even early 40s because of career or lifestyle choices. Unfortunately, this may interfere with your ability to become pregnant, since ovaries naturally produce fewer viable eggs at that age. Egg freezing allows women in their mid-to-late 20s or 30s to preserve mature eggs until they feel they’re ready to have a child.

What is the egg freezing procedure like?

Here at Rocky Mountain Fertility Center, we start with a thorough evaluation that includes a pelvic ultrasound, a detailed discussion about the process, and lab tests that help us determine the quantity and quality of eggs available in your ovaries.

It can take six to eight weeks to complete the egg retrieval and freezing process, which includes the use of medication (fertility drugs) to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs for harvesting. Note that women typically only produce one mature egg per month. Depending on your age, Dr. Smith generally recommends collecting and preserving 12-16 eggs.

When ultrasound imaging shows the eggs are ready, it’s time for the retrieval phase of the procedure. This generally takes less than 30 minutes and anesthesia through an Intravenous line is given. Other than mild cramping afterward. The captured eggs are then quickly frozen and preserved for future use via IVF.

For more information about this procedure or any of the services we offer, schedule your visit today. Call one of our offices or request an appointment online.