A Look into Infertility Freezing Embryos
During In Vitro Fertilization treatment, your ovaries may be induced to produce more eggs than usual which means that you may end up with more healthy fertilized eggs than you can use. The plus side to this is that numerous clinics may give you the opportunity to freeze and store the fertilized eggs in case they are needed at a later stage.
Depending on the type of In Vitro Fertilization service you have signed up for, this may be offered free of charge. It may be the case that your treatment needs to be tabled for a while after the eggs have been gathered, for a number of grounds, so storing them would be an option worthwhile considering.
If you store your embryos it means that if you resolve to have another go at In Vitro Fertilization you don’t have to go through the costly, and sometimes difficult, process of egg stimulation and collection all over again. Another advantage to this approach is that you can improve your prospects of conception from one egg collection and avoid the risk of Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation syndrome from further infertility treatments.
Fertilized eggs can normally be frozen and stored away safely for up to five years, although this can occasionally be prolonged. This means that even if you or you partner are diagnosed at a later stage with an infertility problem for example, it will still be possible to have In Vitro Impregnation treatment.
In certain situations you may be granted to store your frozen fertilized eggs for up to ten years. There are occasions where this ten year period can be prolonged. You can alter your mind about storing them at any time, in which case you need to let the clinic know about your decision.
All the same, while you’re fertilized eggs are stored away safely at the clinic they have a duty to keep in regular communication to confirm that you wish to continue storing them at their facility. If you move home, split up or there are any other change of circumstances, it is always worth letting your fertility clinic know about them. Should you get a divorce, this does not as a matter of course mean that either person’s approval is withdrawn.
The medical procedure used to freeze the fertilized eggs is called cryopreservation and uses liquid nitrogen. Only healthy, fertilized eggs that have been growing normally will be chosen for freezing.
It is large to remember that embryos are delicate and although handled with extreme care, not all of them will withstand the freezing and thawing procedure. To safeguard against this, when it comes to your next treatment cycle, it may be suggested you have more fertilized eggs thawed than can actually be transferred.