Egg Freezing (Preserve Oocytes For Future Use)

· Those in Mexicali for at least 6 weeks who need egg freezing procedure.
· Those with healthy oocytes or eggs.
· Those with future plans on having children.
· Those who wish to preserve their oocytes for medical reasons.
· Those who wish to delay having children.

Egg Freezing, also known scientifically as Oocyte Cryopreservation, is a process that involves stimulating women's ovaries with hormones to produce multiple eggs, retrieving the eggs from the ovaries and taking them to the lab and cool to subzero temperatures for storage and thawed at a later date. The procedure is done in a number of reasons; the main reason is to save women's ability to get pregnant in the future.

At the later date when women are ready for the pregnancy, the frozen egg can be thawed to combine with sperm in the lab and proceed with implantation into the uterus (in vitro fertilization).

Egg Freezing is an effective option for women who are not ready to become pregnant at the current age but are planning to and wish to have a guarantee for the success rate in the future. Unlike embryo cryopreservation, egg freezing does not require sperm to perform pre-fertilization before it is put in a frozen state.

You may consider egg freezing when:
· You have a health-related concerns or conditions that might affect your fertility, for instance, sickle cell anemia and autoimmune diseases.
· You have to undergo treatments for cancer or illnesses that might affect your ability to get pregnant; for example, radiation or chemotherapy can harm fertility, it is recommended to perform egg freezing prior to those treatments.
· You are undergoing in vitro fertilization.
· You would like to preserve younger matured oocytes now for future use.

Egg Freezing is a minimally invasive procedure. The procedure is monitored with the ultrasound measurement of ovarian follicles and estradiol levels. When the follicles are mature, HCG is administered to complete the maturation process. The eggs are harvested 36 hours thereafter with the use of ultrasound-guided transvaginal aspiration. Mature oocytes are then cryopreserved and stored. Later on, when the woman wants to use her cryopreserved oocytes, they are thawed, and those which survive are fertilized through ICSI.

Prior to the procedure, patients would have to go through some screening blood tests, including:
· Ovarian Reserve Testing - The doctor might test the concentration of follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol in the patient's blood on day 3 of the menstrual cycle to determine the quantity and quality of the eggs.
· Infectious Disease Screening - Patients will be screened for certain infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C.

1. Consultation regarding the procedure and possible risks
2. Blood tests for health confirmation
3. Applications of hormones to grow multiple oocytes (10 to 12 days)
4. Oocytes maturing process
5. Application of IV anesthesia
6. Eggs (oocytes) retrieval with the use of ultrasound
7. Eggs retrieved to freeze

<Advantages>
· Preserves eggs (oocytes)
· Allows patients to delay having children

<Limitations>
· Risk of temporary post-procedure soreness, abdominal cramping or spotting which could last up to a few days.

Q1: How long does the process take?
A1: The egg freezing process from start to finish typically takes 6 weeks for most of the patients, which includes the initial consultation, testing, and treatment planning.

Q2: Is the procedure before egg retrieval painful?
A2: Some women experience bloating and discomfort during ovarian stimulation which is similar to PMS symptoms.

Q3: Is egg retrieval painful?
A3: The egg retrieval is done under light sedation and patients will not feel pain during the procedure.

Q4: Is there any side effect of egg freezing?
A4: In rare cases around less than 5%, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) may occur during ovarian stimulation process. OHSS is associated with swollen, enlarged ovaries and the collection of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Q5: Will there be any side effects after the egg retrieval process?
A5: After the egg retrieval, patients may experience spotting, cramping, and nausea for a few days.

Q6: For how long can eggs be kept frozen?
A6: There is no expiration on the eggs kept frozen, the longest successful thaw came after 14 years, and many healthy babies have been born from eggs frozen for 5 to 10 years.

[Clinic Name] Hospital de la Familia
[Location] Mexicali, Mexico
[Nearest Stations / Attractions] The hospital is about 17 mins drive from Mexicali International Airport and 10 mins drive from Holiday Inn Express & Suites Mexicali
[Clinic Opening Time] Monday - Sunday (24 hrs)