Egg Freezing?
To Freeze or not to Freeze: Understanding Oocyte Cryopreservations (Egg Freezing)
Written by Dr. Fiona Callender, ND
Egg freezing is becoming a more common - and more accessible - option for those looking to preserve their fertility potential. Though this used to be primarily for medical reasons (those undergoing cancer treatments, for example), “social egg freezing” is becoming much more common - and we get way more questions about it. When is the best time? Do I need to be freezing my eggs in my 20s?
The answers to these questions, as with many things in medicine, are nuanced. Age is the number one factor impacting fertility in women as it impacts the quality of eggs. Age is, accordingly, the strongest predictor of success in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Beyond the age of 40, it’s much more challenging to have success with fresh eggs.
Preserving younger eggs offers a time extension to find the right partner, finish your schooling, achieve career goals, etc! Part of the equation involves finding a balance between preserving high enough quality eggs and the financial cost of doing so. Though eggs under the age of 30 might be preferable, women under 30 also have a high probability of being able to achieve pregnancy without support of technology and likely won’t need to use those frozen eggs.
The average age of egg freezing worldwide is 37 years old. Many reproductive societies recommend the most cost-effective time might actually be at 35 or under, when the chance of live birth from thawed eggs can reach up to 75%.
The average rate of live birth following egg freezing is about 35% per embryo transfer. Using frozen vs fresh embryos doesn’t seem to make a difference in pregnancy rates with IVF. There are also no increases in chromosomal (genetic) abnormalities, birth defects or developmental deficits with the use of ART. Ultimately we want to balance having high quality eggs with finances and the chance of actually needing/using them.
There are some cases where we might counsel more strongly towards egg freezing. Endometriosis is a common condition I see in practice where we may have this conversation or refer for fertility testing earlier than other patients. The reason for this is multifactorial, but the challenges in fertility may be in part due to issues with egg quality, challenges with implantation in the uterus, fertilization and embryo development - or a combination of all of them. There may also be surgical damage to the ovaries if surgery was a necessary step in your endometriosis journey, as well as challenges with ovarian stimulation once we start IVF. Getting in to address fertility goals earlier rather than later is an important conversation we have with these patients.
Every person’s goals and health history will impact the decision to freeze eggs, embark on IVF, or even just get an assessement. Having a resource and support to guide you along the way and help you navigate this time in your life is something I am privileged to be a part of.
If you are curious about how we can support you, you can book a meet and greet to get to know Dr. Fiona and ask some questions!