Can Embryo Freezing Preserve Fertility, and What Are The Procedures Involved?
Embryo freezing preserves fertility by enabling couples or individuals to store their embryos for a long period of time to allow them to start a family when they are ready. The embryo freezing procedure preserves the embryos through advanced techniques that rapidly cool the embryos in specialized devices for a long time, and they can be collected at any time.
When the couple or individual is ready to start a family, they can undergo the IVF process with the best IVF centre in Punjab that stores the eggs without going through hormonal therapy. This article provides more information about embryo freezing.
What is embryo freezing all about?
The process of IVF stimulates the ovaries to release multiple eggs for fertilization. Not all eggs are used for the IVF procedure; as such, the remaining eggs can be stored. The aim of the embryo freezing procedure is to help couples or individuals have an IVF family plan where they do not have to go through other procedures any longer.
The technique of embryo freezing is all about storing the fertilized eggs at ultra-low at ultra-low temperatures; it involves treating the embryos with cryoprotectants and enabling them to cool continuously at extremely low temperatures.
- The embryo freezing procedure can be done for anyone undergoing the IVF procedure who has extra eggs.
- It can be done for patients who are undergoing other medical treatments that pose a threat to their fertility, such as chemotherapy.
- Couples or individuals who desire to start a family later can utilize this technique.
- People interested in having options when they finally want to start a family.
Is there a difference between embryo freezing and egg freezing?
You can distinguish embryo freezing from egg freezing with these differences;
- Egg freezing preserves unfertilized eggs, whilst embryo freezing involves preserving fertilized eggs.
- Egg freezing does not require sperm to be stored, whilst embryo freezing involves firstly fertilizing the eggs, allowing them to undergo the cycles, and then undergoing the freezing procedure.
- The egg freezing procedure mainly involves ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, and then the immediate freezing process, whilst the embryo freezing procedure proceeds with fertilization, culturing in the lab till the cycles are complete, and then the freezing procedure.
How is the embryo freezing procedure done?
Step 1
The patient undergoes ovarian stimulation procedures, where they are given hormonal injections, which take around 14 days.
Step 2
The hormonal injections stimulate the production of multiple eggs, which are retrieved under ultrasound guidance.
Step 3
The collected eggs are fertilized in the lab, which could be done either through conventional IVF or through sperm injection. The fertilized egg is left in the lab for culturing so that the embryo gets to the blastocyst stage.
Stage 4
The treatment of embryo freezing can mainly be done as soon as the embryo has reached the blastocyst stage. In order to cool the embryo, the specialist treats it with chemicals and places it in a specialized device.
In what way does embryo freezing help with preserving fertility?
It offers an opportunity to plan one's IVF cycle.
Couples or individuals can decide when to start a family, and if they have undergone the IVF procedure before, it allows them to heal properly and then start again for another child.
It eliminates the need to undergo some procedures.
The stimulating stage results in a collection of multiple eggs which can be used one at a time; as such, patients do not have to undergo the hormonal therapy all over again but can start with the implantation process.
Provides the option for individuals to delay pregnancy
Couples or individuals can undergo the embryo procedure ahead of time, then focus on other areas of their lives whilst still preserving their chances of getting pregnant later on.
Patients facing health problems can preserve their fertility chances.
Couples or individuals facing underlying health problems that threaten their fertility can opt for embryo freezing to reduce risk factors and to allow them to have a structured time frame of when to start a family.
Conclusion
Embryo freezing gives couples or individuals the opportunity to plan for their future. They can start way ahead of time and also choose to discontinue at any time. It also provides an opportunity for couples to either use their own gametes or donor gametes, which solves severe fertility problems and enables transgender individuals to start a family as well.
The embryo freezing cost is separate from the IVF cost in India, so one would have to communicate with the specialist first to know all about the prices.