Egg freezing

Oocyte cryopreservation, often called egg freezing, preserves your eggs until you’re ready to use them. Your doctor removes some unfertilized eggs from your ovaries during a minor procedure. The eggs are frozen and safely stored until you’re ready to have them fertilized and transferred to your uterus.

At Penn Medicine, we use an innovative freezing technique called vitrification to preserve your eggs. The method reduces the risk of egg damage during the freezing and thawing process, increasing their chance of successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) use.

Not only does egg freezing preserve your fertility, but it also reduces the chance of your child having a genetic disorder. Because egg quality decreases with age, the chance of your eggs containing abnormalities increases.

Egg freezing is a safe fertility preservation method that continues to grow in popularity. Studies show that egg freezing doesn’t increase pregnancy complications or congenital abnormalities. Thousands of babies worldwide have been conceived and born using this method.

IVF outcomes using frozen eggs are similar to those done with fresh eggs. Success rates of egg freezing may depend on your:

• Age at the time of egg retrieval
• Number of eggs available for retrieval
• Overall reproductive health

There are many reasons you may explore egg freezing. You may want to preserve your eggs if you:

• Are at risk of premature ovarian failure
• Are transitioning from female to male
• Aren’t ready to be a parent
• Need surgery or medication that can impact your fertility
• Want to preserve high-quality eggs when you’re in your 20s or early 30s

Though there are no eligibility requirements for egg freezing, it is not recommended for people over the age of 38 due to declining egg quality.

Successful egg freezing varies based on your circumstances. We help you understand the benefits and costs of the procedure, so you’re informed and confident moving forward. If you’re interested in egg freezing, speak with a Penn Medicine fertility specialist to decide if the method is right for you.

The best time to freeze your eggs is in your 20s and early 30s. Usually, this is when your eggs are the healthiest.

You may want to freeze your eggs before undergoing a treatment or surgery that will impact your fertility, such as chemotherapy. Our fertility specialists work closely with other specialists, like oncologists. We help people with cancer quickly get their eggs frozen so they can start chemotherapy. Your care team will recommend the best time to freeze your eggs before a fertility-altering medical treatment.

Taking care of your body is a great way to prepare for egg freezing. Good lifestyle choices keep you and your eggs healthy, which increases the chance for successful egg retrieval, fertilization, and transfer in the future.

To prepare for egg freezing, we recommend you:

• Avoid smoking and using drugs
• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins
• Get regular physical activity
• Limit alcohol
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Take a prenatal vitamin

Your provider helps you understand the risks and benefits of egg freezing so you can make an informed decision. The procedure doesn’t always produce a pregnancy, and some of your eggs may not survive the freezing, thawing, or fertilization process.

The medication you take during ovulation induction can cause some side effects, including:

• Abdominal bloating
• Headaches
• Moodiness
• Nausea
• Pelvic discomfort
• Tiredness
• Weight gain

Severe ovarian hyperstimulation can happen during ovulation induction. This rare side effect can cause life-threatening symptoms, like blood clots. We keep a close eye on your egg development and stop the procedure if you show any signs of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Several factors impact the cost of egg freezing, including:

• Medication you take during ovulation induction
• Monitoring of developing follicles
• How long you store your eggs

Understanding treatment costs and exploring payment options is important. Our financial advocates help you navigate the process and make paying for fertility treatments like egg freezing more manageable.

Our fertility care providers help you preserve your fertility through the latest egg-freezing methods. At Penn Medicine, our compassionate specialists get to know you and your reproductive goals. You see the same providers throughout the egg-freezing process, so you feel comfortable and supported by a familiar team.

You can also feel confident in our expertise. Our reproductive endocrinology specialists are pioneers in egg-freezing research. Our research teams continue to refine freezing techniques, giving you the best chance at preserving healthy eggs.