Introduction

Many women choose to freeze their eggs for a variety of reasons, including being single, wanting to focus on their career, not being ready to have children for some personal and professional reasons, or about to undergo medical treatment that may result in infertility.

Women have a finite amount of eggs in their ovaries at birth. Over time, the amount and quality of these eggs start to decline. This is referred to as their "ovarian reserve."

When you begin egg freezing "on time," the quality of your eggs remains constant.

For example, if you freeze your egg at the age of 33 and wish to utilize it at the age of 39, the quality of the frozen egg will be the same since the age at which you store your eggs and the age at which you thaw them.

As a result, the danger of miscarriage is greatly reduced, and the odds of conceiving are increased.

While some women may freeze their eggs for later use, egg freezing is also associated with egg donation, where the egg donor gives the egg to someone else for use during fertility treatment.

Regardless of the reason for freezing eggs, the overall goal is the same: storing eggs allows you to preserve fertility by harvesting eggs at a younger age, which can be used at a later date.

Although it does not guarantee pregnancy, it increases the chances of successful conception in later life.

Let us understand the term Egg-Freezing:

Female egg freezing is the procedure of extracting, freezing, and storing a woman's eggs for future use. To keep the eggs viable, they are kept at extremely low temperatures.

The frozen eggs are then thawed and fertilized in vitro (in a lab) with sperm to develop embryos for implantation by IVF (in vitro fertilization).

This treatment enables women to preserve their fertility by keeping eggs when they are young and using them later in life when they are ready to have kids, even if they are facing fertility issues due to age or medical reasons.

Who Needs Egg (Oocyte) Freezing?

Freezing the egg can be considered for a variety of reasons, including:

• Women who are suffering from cancer and going for chemotherapy and pelvic radiation therapy that affect fertility
• Any surgery that causes damage to the ovaries
• Chromosomal abnormalities like Turner syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and a family history of early menopause increase the risk of premature ovarian failure
• Ovarian disease with risk of damage to the ovaries
• Some genetic mutations require the removal of ovaries (e.g. BRCA mutation)
• For social or personal reasons, to delay in having kids

Egg Freezing Procedure

The procedure for egg freezing includes:

• Firstly, you need to be tested for infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis. This has no bearing if you are infected; you can freeze your eggs or not. This is to ensure that infected egg samples are stored separately to prevent contamination of other samples.
• Then the IVF procedure starts, which usually takes 2–3 weeks to complete. It involves taking drugs to increase egg production and help in getting the eggs to mature quickly. Then the mature egg will be collected from the ovaries.
• After this, instead of mixing the eggs with sperm, a freezing solution is added to protect the eggs. Then the eggs will freeze by cooling them slowly or by fast freezing (called vitrification), and then the frozen eggs are stored in a liquid nitrogen tank.
• Around 7-14 eggs are collected from patients under the age of 38 years, but it is not possible with patients with low ovarian reserves. 
• When you are ready to use the frozen eggs to get pregnant, the cryopreserved eggs are put in a warming solution. And those eggs that survived are then injected with male sperm. 
• The fertilized eggs will grow in culture for 3-5 days until the embryo is ready to be transferred to the uterus to get pregnant.

Benefits of Egg Freezing

There are a wide range of reasons a woman may choose to freeze her eggs, including health and lifestyle factors.

Freezing for Fertility Preservation: Egg freezing allows a woman to preserve her fertility. Women who are facing medical treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation which can affect their fertility, and women who want to delay having kids for personal and professional reasons can opt for egg-freezing.

Age-Related Fertility Concerns: As women age, the amount and quality of their eggs decline, making pregnancy more challenging. By freezing at an early age, women may have a better chance of getting pregnant later in life.

Control and Flexibility: Egg freezing provides women with the flexibility to delay pregnancy until they are emotionally, financially, or personally ready to start a family.

Medical Issues: Endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are just two examples of medical conditions that impact fertility. Egg freezing provides an opportunity to preserve eggs before these problems become more severe and start impacting women's fertility.

Empowerment and Choice: Egg freezing provides women with the power to take charge of their reproductive health and confidently make choices about their fertility according to their timeline.

Improved Technology: The advances in egg freezing techniques have led to a better success rate for in vitro fertilization procedures, which offers assurance for future pregnancies.

Reduced Pressure: For women who have not found a suitable partner or who are not ready to start a family, egg freezing can reduce the pressure associated with their pregnancy biological clock.

Side Effects of Egg Freezing

Like any medical procedure, egg freezing also has potential side effects and risks.

It is important to have an open and informed discussion about the potential risks and side effects with a healthcare provider before starting the procedure.

The personal experiences may differ, and the intensity of side effects can vary from one individual to another.

Some common side effects might include

Discomfort: After egg removal, some women may experience mild cramping, bloating, or discomfort.

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS): The potential complication where the ovaries become swollen and painful. It is very rare but can occur due to the hormonal medicines used to stimulate egg production.

Bleeding or Infection: As the procedure involves needles, there's a minor risk of bleeding or infection at the injection site where the eggs are retrieved.

Emotional Impact: The process of egg freezing can also impact emotionally. It might cause stress, anxiety, or mood swings due to hormonal changes.

No Guaranteed Success: It's important to note that success with egg freezing is not 100 % guaranteed. Because not all eggs will survive the freezing and thawing process, and even if they do, there is no guarantee they will result in a successful pregnancy.

Multiple Pregnancies: If multiple embryos are implanted during a subsequent IVF procedure using the frozen eggs, there's an increased risk of multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, etc.), which carries its own set of risks.

FAQs

What is the best age to freeze your eggs?

The optimal age in women considered for freezing eggs is typically in their late 20s to mid-30s.

Fertility tends to decline gradually after the age of 30 and rapidly declines after the age of 35.

A woman can preserve her healthier eggs before the age of 35, which provides a better chance of successful conception.

How Long can the eggs be stored?

The longevity of frozen eggs can vary. If frozen eggs are stored in a properly controlled environment, such as a fertility clinic, they can remain viable for several years.

Studies have shown that eggs frozen by vitrification, a flash-freezing technique, can last a decade or more without significantly deteriorating.

However, it is important to note that technology and research in this area are still evolving, so exact timelines may change as conservation methods evolve.

Does egg freezing affect future fertility or pregnancy?

Egg freezing does not affect future fertility or increase the risk of birth defects in children. However, the age at which eggs are frozen can affect future pregnancy success.

What happens when you want to use your frozen eggs?

When you're ready to use the frozen eggs, they are first thawed, fertilized with sperm through in vitro fertilization (IVF), and then the resulting embryos are transferred to the uterus.

Is the egg-freezing process painful?

The procedure of egg freezing isn't typically as painful because it's done under anesthesia.

However, some women might experience mild discomfort, bloating, or cramping during the stimulation phase due to the hormonal changes.

What are the chances of conceiving a child using frozen eggs?

It all depends on a variety of factors, including the age of the recipient, as well as the quantity and quality of the eggs that were used.

Conclusion

Egg freezing represents a revolutionary advance in reproductive technology. It offers women the opportunity to extend their biological fertility clock.

It provides flexibility and control in family planning, allowing people to achieve their goals without compromising their reproductive potential.

However, when going egg-freezing, it is important to check the procedure and benefits against the associated costs and potential side effects.

Always discuss circumstances, risks, and expectations with a fertility specialist before starting the egg-freezing journey.

Ultimately, this procedure is a sign of hope, giving people time to pursue parenthood.​

References

• Egg freezing | HFEA. Available in: https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/fertility-preservation/egg-freezing/ (Accessed on 12, December 2023).
  
• Freezing Eggs: Preserving Fertility for the Future. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/freezing-eggs-preserving-fertility-for-the-future. (Accessed on 12, December 2023).
• Egg Freezing - Fertility & Reproductive Health | UCLA Health. Available at: https://www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/obgyn/fertility/egg-freezing. (Accessed on 12, December 2023).
• What to Expect from the Egg Freezing Process. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/egg-freezing-process. (Accessed on 12, December 2023).
• Oocyte Preservation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oocyte_cryopreservation. (Accessed on 12, December 2023).
• Is Egg Freezing Right for You? Available at: https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/egg-freezing-fertility. (Accessed on 12, December 2023).
• What to know about egg freezing. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314815 (Accessed on 12, December 2023)