With the passage of time and changes in human thinking, motherhood or paternity have become a complex issue when deciding when is the right time to assume this responsibility. Improving professionally, traveling, having economic stability or enjoying life in other ways, is today the priority of many women and men, who, although they dream of having children at some point, do not feel prepared to do so in the near future.
In the case of women, postponing fertility can be more complex than for the male factor, because after the age of 30 the female reproductive potential begins to decrease and at the age of 35 it is more accentuated, reducing the chances of achieving pregnancy. This is why fertility techniques have been developed that allow women to postpone their dream of having a child by keeping their eggs young for as long as they wish.
The technique used for this type of procedure is called vitrification or egg cryopreservation. Below, we share key data that could help you solve some concerns associated with this procedure:
What does egg cryopreservation or vitrification consist of?
This technique consists of extracting from the woman the maximum number of young and healthy eggs to be fertilized or cryopreserved in the laboratory, and then transferred to the patient when she decides to become a mother.
This technique allows motherhood to be postponed, since, when a woman decides to vitrify her young eggs, it allows them to retain their quality for years, thus increasing the possibility of seeking pregnancy even after the age of 40.
What is the ideal age to cryopreserve eggs?
Although multiple factors must be analyzed to define whether or not it is appropriate to perform the procedure, the recommended age is before 35 years old. After this age, the woman’s eggs begin to lose efficiency (quality and quantity) in terms of their possibility of allowing a future pregnancy.
How long can I have vitrified eggs?
A time limit for this is not yet standardized. Under proper laboratory techniques, eggs can remain vitrified for as long as desired.
What is the medical procedure to perform an egg vitrification?
1. Ovarian stimulation: start with an ultrasound on the first day of the menstrual period to analyze that everything is fine and continue with the formulation of medications that allow the ovary to produce more follicles than it develops in its natural process.
2. Ultrasound controls: these are done approximately on the fifth day after starting to take medication to analyze the growth of the follicles.
3. Egg retrieval: approximately between day 8 and 10 (depending on the case) the egg retrieval is done when it is identified that the follicles have an adequate size to extract. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia and lasts between 5 and 10 minutes.
4. Selection in the laboratory: embryologists analyze under a microscope which eggs are mature and then cryopreserve under the vitrification technique.
Is it necessary to undergo assisted reproduction treatment to achieve pregnancy after cryopreserving eggs?
Yes, because the eggs are outside the body and were manipulated, it is not possible to carry out a natural pregnancy. It is necessary to perform a special management of the egg to ensure that it works well and can fertilize. The technique to be used is In Vitro Fertilization.
What is the maximum age to seek pregnancy after cryopreservation?
Each woman has certain characteristics that must be analyzed before starting the search for pregnancy, however, each center, accepting the regulations of the country, manages age limits for fertility treatments. At INSER our age limit range is 50 years of age.
If you are interested in requesting more information about this technique, we invite you to schedule a consultation with our specialists, who will explain this technique in detail. You can contact us at the INSER headquarters located in Medellín, Pereira, Bogotá and Pereira.
Below we share the explanation by our specialist in Human Reproduction, Dr. Fidel Cano:
