Freezing embryos is a technique that can help maintain future fertility. People who choose this procedure usually undergo hormone therapy, cancer treatment, gender verification surgery, or any other medical intervention that affects their fertility.
In some cases, doctors may recommend freezing embryos to help prevent the risk of a condition called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which will worsen after pregnancy. If certain hormone levels are too high during IVF treatment, it can also help increase the chances of pregnancy.
Who Can Have Embryo Freezing Done?
Embryo freezing is an extremely useful procedure for people who postpone their plans to have a child to later years. Women who have an education, a career or any plans often resort to this method, as they know that they will lose their fertility with advancing age. Unlike the ovary and oocytes (eggs), the uterus does not age and is able to lift the pregnancy until the 40s and 50s. Frozen embryos are stored at -196 degrees. Therefore, there is no deterioration in the quality of eggs over time.
Embryo freezing gives women diagnosed with cancer the opportunity to preserve eggs before chemotherapy, surgery or radiation. Most of these treatments destroy the eggs and lead to infertility. In some cases, live eggs may be present after cancer treatment. Options for maintaining fertility vary by age, type of cancer, and cancer treatment plan.
Following a standard IVF process, many individuals or couples have multiple embryos. The decision to freeze these unused embryos can be difficult. Because how or when embryos will be used may not be ethical or moral by some people.
Early ovarian failure can be observed in women with a family history of early menopause. Therefore, the fact that these women prefer the embryo freezing process makes it possible to preserve the eggs.
Can Embryo Freezing be Applied For Women Over 38 Years of Age?
Pregnancy rates obtained from frozen embryos are considered to depend on the woman’s age at the time of freezing her eggs. Therefore, it is foreseen that she will not be affected by the age at which she intends to use them. Therefore, the probability of a future pregnancy in women older than 38 years at the time of embryo freezing will be lower than that observed in young women.
To date, there is little feedback that there is a pregnancy from frozen embryos in women over 38 years of age. For this reason, it provides great advantages to perform embryo freezing before the age of 38.