Egg Freezing

Scientifically, there’s no time limit on how long eggs can stay frozen. But the time can vary depending on each state’s legislation which may impose statutory storage limits. The great news is our team can help you with determining your state’s time limit for storage and can help with extensions of storage if needed. Rest assured we are here for you long term.

Once the eggs have been collected and our scientists have determined which eggs are mature, your eggs are frozen. Mature eggs are frozen by first exposing them to a cryoprotective solution and then freezing very rapidly using a process called vitrification. Each egg is individually frozen and stored.

When you decide to use your frozen eggs to try for a pregnancy, our team of scientists will thaw your eggs to create embryos with your chosen source of sperm (be it donor sperm, or the sperm of a partner). Thawing involves the quick warming of the frozen eggs to 37 degrees Celsius and the removal of the cryoprotective solution. After a short period of recovery, the eggs are then suitable for insemination, usually by injecting a single sperm into the egg. After fertilization, embryo culture is performed using standard procedure. You will then be able to undergo an embryo transfer.

You should consider egg freezing if:

• You’re not in a position to have a baby right now but would like the opportunity to start a family beyond the age when fertility naturally declines (i.e. 35 years of age).
• There is a threat to your fertility, such as severe endometriosis, cancer diagnosis, low ovarian reserve, or major abdominal surgery.

Generally, people in their 20s and early 30s are relatively fertile with their ovaries still containing good numbers of healthy eggs. Egg freezing can be a viable option for people at this age.

People in their late 30s generally have lower quality eggs and a lower number of eggs. If you’re in this age bracket, egg freezing may be less suitable, as there is a chance only a small number of suitable eggs will be collected for freezing.

The success of egg freezing is based on the number and quality of the eggs harvested, and that in turn is heavily dependent on your age. Every body is different and responds differently to treatment, so the number and quality of eggs harvested will vary. Consequently, to obtain sufficient eggs for a good chance of pregnancy using frozen eggs, you may need to undergo multiple egg collections.

Egg freezing was deemed to be a non-experimental procedure in Australia in 2012, so success rates of pregnancy from frozen eggs are limited. Many people fall pregnant naturally without the use of their frozen eggs, or they decide not to use their frozen eggs for other reasons. There are thousands of people with frozen eggs in storage that are ready to be used when they’re ready.

Recent international research has indicated that, on a per thawed oocyte basis, the use of frozen eggs has the potential to give similar pregnancy results as using freshly collected eggs. Published results suggest a single pregnancy may be produced on average from about 10-15 eggs.

The number and quality of eggs collected and the overall success rate for the procedure depends on the woman’s age, the reason for the treatment and other factors. There are instances where no eggs may be collected or suitable for freezing despite everyone’s best efforts.

You may have heard egg freezing referred to as an ‘insurance policy for your fertility’ – but sometimes frozen eggs do not result in a successful pregnancy, and sometimes we are unable to collect any eggs suitable for freezing. Like any procedure, there are risks associated with egg freezing. It is important that you are educated about these risks before starting treatment.

Some of the risks associated with egg freezing include:

• No eggs maybe collected.
• The failure of frozen eggs to survive the freeze/thaw process.
• The failure of thawed eggs to fertilise after insemination.
• The failure of fertilised eggs to develop.
• The embryos formed may not be suitable for transfer.
• The embryos that are transferred may not result in a pregnancy.
• Failure of an established pregnancy to result in a live birth.

When you see a fertility specialist, they can explain the risks of egg freezing to you in more detail.

It important to emphasize that natural conception is best for potentially fertile women as any assisted reproductive treatment (ART) technique can carry an element of risk and overall success rates may be lower than natural conception. All ART involves invasive medical procedures and should only be used when necessary, and after proper consideration of the risks and benefits.

The storage of frozen eggs by presumably fertility people does not guarantee a subsequent pregnancy, irrespective of the number of eggs frozen. It must be emphasized that assisted reproductive treatment is not always successful. The Monash IVF team work incredibly hard to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients, however, it may eventuate that you are unable to fall pregnant using your frozen eggs.

Egg freezing for elective reasons at Monash IVF is restricted to people under 45 years-of-age. People considering this treatment aged between 40-45 should be aware that the pregnancy outcomes are significantly lower and there is very little information regarding the viability of this technology for these older eggs. Monash IVF will not participate in the creation of embryos from cryopreserved eggs after the woman’s 53rd birthday. This is based on the socially responsible view that embryos should not be created by women who are past the age of natural menopause.

Egg freezing using the vitrification technique has been around for many years and there have been thousands of babies conceived world-wide using this technique. To date there have been no reports of adverse obstetric or perinatal outcomes. However, this remains a relatively recent technique and we will continue to closely monitor our results and those from overseas.