What is Egg Freezing with IVF/ICSI

An embryo freezing cycle, also known as embryo cryopreservation, is part of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle. It involves the preservation of all embryos suitable for freezing and storage at a very low temperature to maintain their viability for future use. This is done for patients who wish to preserve embryos to attempt to have a child in the future or for patients who are at risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, have high progesterone levels before egg collection, or whose endometrium is not ready for embryo implantation. In these cases, a fresh embryo transfer will not go ahead, and all embryos that have developed to the right stage and quality will be frozen and stored.

How Egg Freezing with IVF/ICSI Works

The process begins with ovarian stimulation, which includes fertility medications administered to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. Once the follicles have grown to a certain size, a trigger injection is given to induce egg maturation, and a minor surgical procedure called egg collection is performed. The collected eggs are then fertilised with sperm in the laboratory, either through IVF or ICSI. The suitable embryos are frozen using a technique called vitrification and stored in cryogenic storage tanks until the patient is ready for a frozen embryo transfer cycle.

When You Should Consider Egg Freezing with IVF/ICSI

Recommending an embryo freezing cycle with IVF/ICSI is made in consultation with the clinical team, depending on the patient’s circumstances. Embryo freezing might be recommended in the following situations:

• Fertility preservation for medical or social reasons
• Risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
• High progesterone during ovarian stimulation
• Endometriosis problems

Success in Egg Freezing with IVF/ICSI

Success rates of frozen embryo transfers after embryo freezing cycles with IVF or ICSI can vary based on several factors, including the age of the woman, the quality of the embryos, and the reason for fertility treatment. They are very similar to the success rates for fresh embryo transfers.

It is important to remember that success rates can have their limitations when compared with your own experiences or diagnosis.

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