{"id":34936,"date":"2017-02-06T14:58:02","date_gmt":"2017-02-06T12:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/?p=34936"},"modified":"2024-02-23T14:52:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T12:52:21","slug":"a-quick-guide-to-egg-vitrification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/blog\/a-quick-guide-to-egg-vitrification\/","title":{"rendered":"A quick guide to Egg Vitrification"},"content":{"rendered":"
In 2005 IVI became the first clinic in Europe to use vitrification, a technique that dramatically improves egg survival rates.<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s eggs are difficult to freeze \u2013 they are the biggest cell in the body and contain a large amount of water. Previous freezing techniques had a low egg survival rate because the water inside the cell created crystals that destroyed it. 90% of the eggs survive the vitrification process and 98% of these eggs then survive the thawing process.<\/p>\n
IVI also achieved the first pregnancy in Europe using vitrified eggs in 2006. \n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who should consider egg freezing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
There are a number of reasons why a woman might decide to preserve her fertility, such as:<\/p>\n
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Medical conditions.<\/strong> If you have a condition or are undergoing treatment that could affect your fertility and ovarian function, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy \n\u00a0<\/li>\n
Social reasons.<\/strong> For women who wish to postpone motherhood for social reasons, preserving their eggs for the future, providing more flexibility around their fertility decisions \n\u00a0<\/li>\n
Situations of risk.<\/strong> For instance, during the Olympic Games in Brazil, some athletes decided to preserve their fertility as they were travelling to an area with the Zika virus \n\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
When should I freeze my eggs?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
This is a personal decision, but in general terms, the younger, the better. At IVI, we recommend women freeze their eggs before the age of 35. After the age of 35, genetic and biological changes mean that the quality of eggs decreases and egg production declines. \n\u00a0<\/p>\n
The egg freezing process<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
Assessment<\/span> \nThe first step is a blood test to assess the woman\u2019s ovarian reserve. It\u2019s also common practice to test for infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C.<\/p>\n
An initial ultrasound checks that the ovaries are at rest and that stimulation can begin. \n\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Ovarian Stimulation<\/span> \nFirst the production of follicles is stimulated. In a normal cycle, a woman releases one egg, but medication is used to stimulate the follicles to produce a larger number of eggs in one cycle. The drugs normally used are either FSH or HMG (which contains FSH and LH) and both stimulate egg follicle growth.<\/p>\n
Usually the medication starts on the first day of the menstrual cycle and has to be taken daily for about 10-12 days. It is administered as an injection into the abdomen. The needle is really thin so it shouldn\u2019t be painful. A nurse will explain how you should do it. There are also videos available on our IVI International Youtube channel that explain all the steps.<\/p>\n