Egg Freezing (oocyte cryopreservation)
There comes a time in every woman’s life, either due to age or illness, when she can no longer produce healthy eggs. Penn Fertility Care offers egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) as a fertility preservation option for women and while it is still considered an experimental procedure, Penn researchers are finding new and effective ways to freeze and thaw a woman’s eggs to provide the best chance at conceiving later in life.
An ovarian follicle contains a single egg and women are born with approximately one million follicles in their ovaries. By the time a woman reaches puberty, just 300,000 remain. This number continues to decline until menopause when almost no follicles are left in the ovaries. For some women, health conditions including cancer or a family history of early menopause may cut their egg production life-span short. These women may proactively seek out egg freezing as a fertility preservation option.
Need an appointment? Request one online 24 hours/day, 7 days/week or call 800-789-PENN (7366) to speak to a referral counselor.