Embryo freezing is a process that permits individuals to store embryos for sometime in the future. An individual can also freeze eggs, which are not fertilized. An embryo is developed after fertilization and the cells begin to divide. Physicians can freeze and store unused embryos (fertilized eggs) created during IVF, which may include intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), using a process called cryopreservation.
Need for Embryo Freezing
- There are numerous reasons a man and woman may decide to freeze and store their embryos:
- They may feel it is a superior choice than having the additional embryos destroyed.
- It can give one more opportunity to get pregnant if the IVF cycle fails the first time. The couple won’t need to do IVF once more.
- On the off chance that the man and lady have an infant, they can utilize the embryo later to have a subsequent child.
- The woman can preserve embryos before she starts therapies, for example, for cancer, which may diminish or eliminate her odds of getting pregnant.
- The embryo could be preserved and given to another person in a donor program.
- The embryo could be preserved and given for research.
Embryo Freezing Techniques
Vitrification
Fast cooling convention (vitrification) includes media containing a higher concentration of cryoprotectants and has a moderately lot more limited freezing time. The fundamental concern when freezing an embryo is the development of ice between the cells. This can be effectively avoided by a profoundly skilled embryologist.
Slow cooling
Slow cooling includes seeding where the cryopreservation straw is physically moved by cold forceps dipped in liquid nitrogen further away from the embryo to start ice development which spreads to the rest of the solution containing the embryos. This prevents harm to the embryos. Most centers today apply vitrification for freezing embryos.
Thawing
During this method, the frozen sperm/oocytes/embryos are thawed (de-frozen) to room temperature, noticed for further development, and afterward moved into the patient’s uterus after stimulating endometrial development. At the time of embryo substitution, the straws are taken out from the liquid nitrogen and set in a water shower at room temperature before re-hydrating with unique media. Toward the finish of re-hydration, the embryos are cultured in media inside the carbon dioxide incubators and permitted to grow further either to day 2 or blastocyst prior to transfer.
Risks Involved in Embryo Freezing
Research shows that the freezing and thawing of embryos does not harm subsequent babies made through IVF. The length of time the embryo was stored does not affect IVF success rates.
With improving technology, the difference in pregnancy rates between the frozen embryos and fresh is negligible. In addition, the stimulation process with frozen embryo transfer is gentler, with hormone levels closer to normal in the woman, which may also improve pregnancy rates.
Any ice crystals formed during the slow freeze process may cause damage to an embryo while thawing. This is one of the reasons vitrification is the preferred cryopreservation technique. Research shows that there is no increase in the risk of birth defects among children born from frozen embryos compared with normal births.
Egg banking, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a moderately new strategy for fertility protection where a developed, unfertilized egg is retrieved from a female, frozen and stored for later use.
Egg banking includes a female deciding to have eggs retrieved from her ovaries, frozen to preserve their viability and put away until she is ready to utilize them in a future in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment to achieve pregnancy.
Egg freezing and egg banking can be utilized to preserve fertility in patients having aggressive medical treatments, for example, chemotherapy, or in patients who wish to protect their fertility presently to begin a family later.
Egg freezing process in conjunction with IVF
Egg freezing is achieved through a new IVF cycle, avoiding egg treatment in vitro.
- Stimulation of a woman’s ovaries utilizing fertility medications to produce a few egg follicles during one new IVF cycle
- Harvesting eggs from the woman’s ovaries through surgical retrieval
- Preparing and freezing of the eggs for preservation through a cycle known as vitrification
- The fast-freezing technique of vitrification makes it possible to freeze eggs rapidly so that ice crystals don’t form between cells
Egg banking in cancer treatment
Egg banking increases opportunities for women going through cancer treatment who preserve their fertility. In the event that they have a partner, they could go through a stimulation and retrieval cycle, developing embryos, and freeze them for some time in the future. They could do likewise without an available partner, in the event that they willing to utilize donor sperm to develop embryos. This would ensure them hereditary offspring, yet with a missing sperm donor father. In the event that they come up short on a partner and ability to utilize a sperm donor, egg freezing would empower as it both secures their fertility and gives them a decision over the genetic father of their post-treatment children. A comparable need may emerge with women with hereditary illnesses or different conditions, for example, premature ovarian failure, who had not yet found a spouse yet needed to ensure they have healthy eggs at a later point in their life for reproduction.
Advantages of egg banking
- Egg banking permits patients to extend their fertility. Thawed eggs hold their capacity to get fertilized from the time of freezing, giving the patient peace of mind by knowing pregnancy might be conceivable later on.
- For women who need to through fertility damaging treatments, for example, chemotherapy, egg freezing may permit them to preserve their fertility and start a family after treatment.
- Egg freezing can likewise assist women with premature fertility loss, for example, reduced ovarian reserve, by banking healthy eggs at an early age when they are likely to be viable for sometime in the future. In these cases, the woman’s doctor will suggest egg freezing and banking.
- A few women decide to freeze and bank their eggs for social reasons, for example, waiting for the right partner or not wanting to take a leave from work. The frozen eggs can be thawed, fertilized and embedded for pregnancy sometime in the not too distant future.
Risks of egg banking
Egg freezing carries several risks to the woman or couple, including:
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).
- Surgical complications.
- Emotional effects.
A cancer diagnosis is overwhelming, but modern medicine now allows young women and girls to preserve their dreams of motherhood. Fertility Preservation (Oncofertility) is the process of saving eggs, embryos, or ovarian tissue before starting treatments like chemotherapy or radiation.
The Impact of Chemo and Radiation
Ovarian follicles are highly sensitive to DNA-damaging agents. Depending on the dose and type of treatment, anticancer therapies can lead to:
- Premature Ovarian Failure: Early onset of menopause.
- Reduced Follicle Reserve: A significantly shortened reproductive lifespan.
- Hormonal Shift: Markers like AMH and AFC may drop to premenopausal levels following treatment.
Why Ovarian Cortex Freezing?
For many young patients—including prepubertal girls or those who cannot delay chemotherapy for the 2 weeks required for egg retrieval—Ovarian Tissue Freezing is the only viable option. This technique protects the primordial follicles, which are hardier and less affected by radiation than mature eggs.
[Image: Illustration of Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation]
The Procedure Steps:
- Tissue Collection: Minor laparoscopic surgery to remove the ovarian cortex.
- Tissue Preparation: Slicing the tissue into thin strips rich in follicles.
- Histological Analysis: Ensuring the tissue is healthy and suitable for freezing.
- Vitrification: Ultra-rapid freezing to prevent ice crystal formation.
Restoring Fertility After Remission
Once a patient is in remission and ready to conceive, the tissue can be auto-transplanted back into the body. Modern studies show an encouraging pregnancy rate of 23% to 37% following transplantation. Emergent techniques like In-Vitro Maturation (IVM) are also expanding options for future family building.
Timing is Vital
Fertility preservation must be discussed before the first dose of chemotherapy. If you are feeling stressed or confused about your options, specialized counseling at Talwar Fertility can provide the clarity you need during this difficult time.
Preserve Your Future Today
Dr. Pankaj Talwar is a pioneer in Oncofertility. Contact us immediately to discuss a rapid-response fertility preservation plan.
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