Embryo freezing and keeping
What you need to know about: Embryo freezing and Keeping
Embryo preservation offers individuals the opportunity to store fertilized embryos for future use. This process is especially valuable for those who wish to delay pregnancy or explore other family-building options. Unlike egg freezing, which involves storing unfertilized eggs, this involves fertilized eggs that have begun to divide and form embryos.
Many choose embryo freezing if they plan to conceive later, wish to donate embryos to others or contribute to medical research. It’s also useful for training purposes in reproductive medicine. With embryo preservation, people have the flexibility to pursue pregnancy when they’re ready.
During the process, eggs are first fertilized, and successful fertilization leads to the formation of embryos. The embryos are carefully monitored to ensure healthy development before being frozen. When the time comes, a doctor can transfer a healthy embryo to the uterus for implantation.
Embryo freezing is a promising option for couples or individuals who want to maintain control over their reproductive plans. It offers hope for future pregnancy while accommodating medical or personal circumstances that may delay starting a family. Whether it’s for fertility treatments or other purposes, the ability to store embryos provides a valuable pathway for many.
This method of embryo preservation increases the chances of pregnancy success, especially when timed with a person’s reproductive goals. When the time is right, doctors can implant the embryo, allowing it to develop naturally. In cases where embryos are not used, individuals can also choose to donate them to others in need.
Ultimately, embryo preservation offers options, flexibility, and hope for individuals facing fertility challenges. For those considering this procedure, consulting with a specialist can provide more insight into its benefits and process.
What is Intrauterine Insemination?
IUI is the procedure developed and introduced for the first time by our President, Prof. Zavos in 1978 that aimed to treat infertility and enhance the chances of pregnancy by placing specially prepared sperm directly into the uterus at the time of ovulation. The hoped-for outcome is to bypass the cervix and allow the sperm and egg to unite in the upper portion of the fallopian tubes and lead into pregnancy. Millions of IUIs are performed daily all over the World!
What is an embryo, and how do people create one?
Before freezing can take place, people need to create suitable embryos. To do so in the laboratory, doctors must harvest and fertilize some eggs.
First, the person will take hormones to make sure that ovulation happens on schedule. They will then take fertility medications to increase the number of eggs that they produce.
In the hospital, a doctor will extract the eggs, using an ultrasound machine to ensure accuracy.
A person may wish to freeze their eggs. Or, they may wish to use them at once to become pregnant. In this case, the doctor may recommend in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
During IVF, the doctor exposes the eggs to sperm and leaves them in a laboratory for fertilization to take place. After this, the correct term for a fertilized egg is an embryo.
An embryologist will monitor the development of the embryos over the next 6 days, after which they may choose a suitable embryo for implantation.
During ICSI, the doctor extracts the eggs and injects a single sperm directly into an egg.
They may do this if there is a problem with the sperm or if past attempts at IVF have not resulted in fertilization. The doctor may use one embryo and freeze the others.
How do people freeze embryos?
The main aim of freezing embryos is to preserve them for later use.
The biggest challenge is the water within the cells. When this water freezes, crystals can form and burst the cell.
Freeze-all cycles
In a freeze-all cycle, a doctor extracts an embryo, freezes it, and stores it. People may benefit from this process if they have a higher risk of ovarian stimulation syndrome. This is a rare and potentially dangerous condition that can arise when a person is receiving stimulating hormones to increase egg production.
To reduce the risk of this condition, a doctor may recommend freezing the embryo and transferring it when the ovaries are no longer stimulated.
A doctor can also use a freeze-all cycle to test an embryo for a genetic disorder. This involves removing a few strands of DNA and testing the chromosomes.
Embryos with a standard set of chromosomes are more likely to transfer successfully. Prescreening can ensure that future offspring have a lower chance of developing genetic diseases.
Possible risks include a slightly higher chance of genetic abnormalities in the child. It is important to note that, because this is a new procedure, the long-term health effects are not yet clear.
Also, women who become pregnant at a later age have a higher risk of complications.
Finally, treatment can be costly. However, it offers a wider range of options for people who wish or need to delay pregnancy, or who may otherwise be unable to conceive.
