In recent years, egg freezing has become an increasingly popular option for women who want to preserve their fertility. Whether for medical reasons, personal choice, or career-related decisions, egg freezing provides an opportunity for women to delay childbearing. In this blog, we will explore the egg freezing procedure, its benefits, and potential side effects, along with insights from Dr. Manisha Kulkarni, a renowned Gynecologist in Magarpatta.
What is Egg Freezing?
Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, involves extracting, freezing, and storing a woman’s eggs. Women choose this to delay childbirth for career, health, or personal reasons.
Egg freezing can offer women the ability to preserve their fertility at a younger age, which can increase their chances of conceiving later in life. Dr. Manisha Kulkarni, an experienced gynecologist in Magarpatta, often discusses the importance of timing when it comes to fertility. “The ideal age for egg freezing is the late 20s to early 30s when egg quality is highest,” says Dr. Kulkarni. “With age, egg quality declines, affecting conception and increasing genetic risks.”
Egg Freezing Procedure
The egg freezing procedure can be broken down into several key stages. Here’s a closer look:
1. Ovarian Stimulation: The first step in the egg freezing process involves ovarian stimulation, where the patient takes hormone injections over a period of about 10-14 days. These hormones stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, as opposed to the single egg that typically matures in a natural menstrual cycle. Dr. Manisha Kulkarni emphasizes that this step requires close monitoring by a specialist. “Frequent ultrasounds and blood tests are performed to ensure that the ovaries are responding well to the medication,” she explains.
2. Egg Retrieval: Once the eggs are mature, they are retrieved through a minor surgical procedure. Doctors perform the procedure under sedation, inserting a thin needle into the ovaries through the vaginal wall to collect the eggs. The procedure typically lasts 20-30 minutes and uses ultrasound guidance.
3. Freezing and Storage: After the eggs are retrieved, they are evaluated in the laboratory to ensure they are healthy. The viable eggs are frozen and stored for future use. Women can store these eggs for many years, preserving their fertility until they are ready to use them, either naturally or through assisted reproductive technology like IVF.
4. Thawing and Fertilization: When a woman uses frozen eggs, doctors thaw and fertilize them through IVF. The resulting embryos are then implanted into the uterus in hopes of achieving pregnancy.
Benefits of Egg Freezing
1.Preserving Fertility for the Future: One of the main benefits of egg freezing is that it allows women to preserve their fertility at a younger age, even if they are not ready for children. As women age, the quality and quantity of eggs decline, leading to reduced fertility. By freezing eggs, women can increase their chances of having a healthy baby later in life.
2.Medical Reasons: Egg freezing is also beneficial for women who need to undergo medical treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation, which could impact their fertility. Freezing eggs before these treatments allows women to maintain the option of having biological children in the future.
3.Flexibility and Control: Egg freezing gives women the flexibility to plan their families when it’s the right time for them, whether it’s because of personal, financial, or career reasons. This can provide peace of mind for women who want to delay pregnancy but worry about the potential decline in fertility as they age.
Increased Success Rates with IVF:
Using frozen eggs for IVF can result in higher success rates compared to using eggs from older women. Harvesting the eggs at a younger age increases the likelihood of producing healthy embryos, which improves the chances of a successful pregnancy.
Like any medical procedure, egg freezing has potential side effects and risks. Some of the common side effects include:
1. Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS): OHSS is a condition where the ovaries become swollen and painful due to an excessive response to fertility medications. In rare cases, it may cause severe issues like blood clots or fluid buildup. Dr. Manisha Kulkarni stresses that proper monitoring can reduce these risks.
2. Hormonal Side Effects: The hormone injections used to stimulate the ovaries can cause temporary side effects, such as mood swings, headaches, bloating, and fatigue. The medication generally stops causing side effects once you discontinue it.
3. Invasive Procedure: The egg retrieval process is minimally invasive, but it still involves a needle insertion into the ovaries, which may cause some discomfort, cramping, or spotting. Serious complications such as infection or bleeding are rare but can occur.
4. No Guarantee of Success: While egg freezing increases the chances of pregnancy later in life, it does not guarantee success. The quality of the eggs may still decline over time, and the process of thawing and fertilizing the eggs does not always result in a successful pregnancy.
Egg freezing has become a valuable option for many women who want to preserve their fertility for the future. The procedure helps preserve fertility, offers flexibility, and allows women to delay childbearing without worrying about declining egg quality. As with any medical procedure, you should carefully consider the potential risks and side effects.
Dr. Manisha Kulkarni has guided numerous women through the egg freezing process, offering personalized care and expert advice. If you’re considering this procedure, consulting a trusted medical professional can help you make informed fertility decisions.
