Egg Freezing

Don’t put your dreams of motherhood on hold

Women may postpone their dreams of motherhood due to reasons such as career plans or concerns about the future. However, while dreams of motherhood are postponed, the biological clock of the body continues to tick. Due to the decrease in fertility capacity over the years, egg freezing procedure emerges as a way to keep dreams alive. Every woman diagnosed with low egg reserve can benefit from egg freezing. Egg freezing, medically known as oocyte freezing, is a method that allows women to freeze healthy eggs at a young age to achieve pregnancy in later years. This procedure is performed to preserve women’s reproductive capacity and increase their chances of pregnancy that they have postponed due to career or health reasons.

15 questions and answers about the egg freezing process:

1- What is low egg reserve?

Ovarian reserve refers to the remaining reproductive potential in a woman’s two ovaries based on the number of eggs. Decreased ovarian reserve is the loss of normal reproductive potential in the ovaries due to a decrease in the number of eggs. Girls are born with a certain number of follicle pools, and the number of eggs starts to decrease with age. However, sometimes ovarian reserve can decrease earlier than expected due to various reasons. According to scientific studies, ovarian reserve begins to decline on average after the age of 35. A decrease in the number of eggs does not mean inability to conceive, but it does make conception more difficult. Decreased ovarian reserve can be detected through tests.

2- How is decreased ovarian reserve detected?

Tests can be conducted to determine egg reserve. Firstly, on the 2nd or 3rd day of the menstrual cycle, FSH and E2 hormone levels are examined. Counting the follicles in the ovaries via ultrasound is also an important assessment for determining reserve. Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is a blood test that objectively assesses ovarian reserve.

3- At what age should the AMH test be done?

It is believed that every woman is born with 1-2 million egg cells. As age progresses, the number of eggs in the ovaries decreases. It is a known fact that the reproductive capacity in women decreases generally after the age of 35. After the age of 38, the egg reserve rapidly decreases, culminating in menopause.

4- Who undergoes the egg freezing procedure?

Egg freezing can be performed on individuals with low ovarian reserve, patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy due to cancer, and women who are going to undergo surgery due to a large ovarian cyst with a risk of ovarian removal, at any age. In practice, egg freezing is most commonly performed on women aged between 35-43, but it can also be done at earlier ages.

5- How is the egg freezing procedure performed?

– Hormonal medications are used to stimulate the ovaries before the egg retrieval process begins. Egg development is monitored via ultrasound after starting the treatment.

– When the follicles reach a certain size during ultrasound monitoring, indicating readiness for egg retrieval, the procedure is performed.

– A special needle is inserted into the follicles under transvaginal ultrasound guidance.

– Eggs are retrieved from the follicles using a special suction device.

– The procedure is performed under sedation anesthesia. It is either painless or minimally painful.

– The aim is to obtain as many eggs as possible, as the higher the number of frozen eggs, the higher the chances of future pregnancy.

– The collected eggs are cooled to temperatures below zero for storage for future use.

The commonly used method for egg freezing is vitrification. During this process, high-concentration substances are used to prevent the formation of ice crystals. The collected eggs are placed into liquid nitrogen tanks with specific numbering.

6- Can single women freeze eggs?

Single women can freeze eggs. In fact, the legal process in Turkey has emerged to allow single patients to benefit from this procedure.

7- Is it necessary to be married to freeze embryos?

Yes, the Health Application Regulation in Turkey only permits married couples to freeze embryos.

8- Can women who have not had sexual intercourse freeze eggs?

Yes, they can. The egg retrieval process is generally performed vaginally. Egg development is monitored during treatment using ultrasound performed abdominally or rectally. On the day of egg retrieval, the procedure is performed vaginally under anesthesia. Patients are informed about the medical condition related to the hymen after the procedure, and a medical report regarding the procedure is provided to the patient.

9- Do women menstruate after egg freezing?

Approximately 10-12 days after the egg retrieval procedure, women menstruate and continue to menstruate as usual.

10- On which day of the menstrual cycle does egg freezing treatment begin?

Similar to IVF patients, ovarian stimulation with medications starts on the 2nd-3rd days of the menstrual cycle. Depending on individual response, the egg retrieval procedure is performed between the 9th-12th days of treatment. The collected eggs are frozen on the same day and stored for up to 5 years in laboratory conditions.

11- Is the egg freezing procedure painful?

The egg freezing procedure is performed under light anesthesia, ensuring that the patient does not feel any pain.

12- How many days after egg retrieval can sexual intercourse occur?

The ovaries typically enlarge to 2-3 times their normal size during the egg retrieval procedure, which can cause discomfort in the pelvic area. Additionally, to reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended to avoid sexual intercourse for 2 weeks after the egg retrieval procedure.

13- Can IVF be achieved with a single frozen egg?

Certainly. If the frozen egg is mature (MII) and of good quality, and if the future partner’s sperm quality is also good, there will always be a chance of pregnancy.

14- How are frozen eggs stored?

Currently, in our country, the latest technologies known as rapid freezing or vitrification methods are used. In the past, slow freezing techniques were used, which had a higher risk of losing eggs (such as egg degeneration) during thawing. With the vitrification method now used, we can retrieve eggs with 90-95% viability on the day they were frozen.

The collected eggs are labeled with specific numbers and placed into liquid nitrogen tanks at -190 degrees Celsius. Scientific studies on the maximum storage duration suggest that, apart from some theoretical risks, eggs can be stored indefinitely. However, legally in our country, they can be stored in these liquid nitrogen tanks for up to 5 years. If the conditions at the start of freezing continue, the storage period can be extended for another 5 years with permission from the Ministry of Health.

15- Is egg freezing performed in our country for social reasons (optional) outside of medical reasons?

While social freezing can be done based on a woman’s request in many countries, in our country, it can only be done based on medical conditions. Optional egg freezing is not permitted.

Advantages of Egg Freezing:

Preservation of fertility: This method allows women to preserve their reproductive capacity before medical procedures such as cancer treatment that may affect fertility.

Age-related fertility decline: As women age, the quality and quantity of their eggs naturally decrease. Egg freezing minimizes these negative effects, offering the chance of a healthy pregnancy at an older age.

Career and educational opportunities: Women can wait for the right time for a natural pregnancy with egg freezing while focusing on their career and educational goals.

Egg Freezing and IVF Procedures:

Egg freezing is a commonly used method in IVF treatments. The frozen eggs can be fertilized with sperm to create embryos, which can then be transferred into the uterus to achieve pregnancy. This provides couples with a wider window of opportunity for pregnancy.

Egg freezing is a significant scientific advancement that increases success rates in IVF treatments. This method offers women the opportunity to preserve their reproductive capacity and achieve a healthy pregnancy at an older age. However, since every individual’s situation is different, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional before using this method.