Embryo Freezing

In an IVF cycle, the woman’s ovaries are stimulated to produce numerous eggs. Following ICSI Treatment and embryo culture, the best embryos are chosen for embryo transfer. For about half of couples, there will be great embryos which are surplus to those required for embryo transfer. These embryos can be frozen to be used later. Embryo freezing can also be used as a strategy of fertility preservation by couples who want to delay child-bearing for a few years but don’t want to lose out on the advantage of young, healthy gametes (eggs/ sperms)

Embryo freezing (cryopreservation) is a technique where the embryos are cooled to extreme low temperature very rapidly to freeze them in a glass like state (vitrification). These vitrified embryos are maintained carefully at this fixed temperature using liquid Nitrogen.

Oocyte Freezing

Young girls with cancers or woman without a life-partner but who wish to preserve their eggs for future fertility can opt for this procedure. Your ovaries will be stimulated with hormone injections like in a normal IVF cycle and the eggs retrieved eggs will be frozen for future use. With great advancements in the technology, oocyte freezing is no longer considered as an experimental procedure, thus allowing greater autonomy to woman to take their reproductive decisions.

Who Needs Egg (oocyte) Freezing?

Cryopreservation of the oocytes can be considered for a variety of reasons:

• Women with cancer requiring chemotherapy and/or pelvic radiation therapy that may affect fertility.

• Surgery that may cause damage to the ovaries.

• Risk of premature ovarian failure because of chromosomal abnormalities (e.g. Turner syndrome, fragile X syndrome), or family history of early menopause.

• Ovarian disease with risk of damage to the ovaries.

• Genetic mutations requiring removing the ovaries (e.g. BRCA mutation).

• Fertility preservation for social or personal reasons to delay childbearing.

Sperm Freezing /Sperm Banking

Sperm freezing is the process of collecting, analyzing, freezing and storing a man’s sperm. The samples are later used for fertility treatments or donated to other couples or individuals. It is also called as Sperm Banking.

Who Needs Sperm Freezing?

• Advancing age.

• Deteriorating sperm quality or low quantity.

• Cancer or other medical reasons.

• Pre-vasectomy patients.

• Transgender patients.

• Career and lifestyle choices, such as those with high-risk occupations or who spend a lot of time away from their significant other.

What are the basic steps involved in Sperm Freezing?

The cryopreservation process of sperms involves:

• Routine screening for infection (HIV, hepatitis and rapid plasma reagin test for syphilis).

• Providing a semen sample or undergoing a sperm extraction.

• Lab analysis of sperm quantity and quality.

• Freezing of viable sperm.

• Storage of the sperm indefinitely.

Mira Fertility Centre is fully equipped with all the advanced equipment, well-trained clinicians and embryologists to carry out these delicate procedures and safely preserve your gametes for extended periods.

Reach us at Mira Fertility for more information. Contact Mira Fertility