5 Questions to Ask Your Fertility Doctor Before Freezing Your Eggs

Oocyte Cryopreservation, otherwise known as egg freezing, has a stigma attached to it that makes it seem that only women who are: “old”, not in a relationship, and fear their biological clock stopping get the procedure done. As egg freezing is for any woman, no matter her age or reason, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Think of it as an insurance policy. This procedure provides the opportunity for women to preserve their fertility and take their future into their own hands. Whether it’s for your first child or you have plans on expanding your family later down the line, egg freezing is a viable option.

Here’s a quick biology lesson on eggs and why egg freezing is worth it for many. Each woman has a set number of eggs based on genetics, and after puberty, these eggs are used gradually from your ovarian reserve. When you’re in your 20s and 30s, your eggs are at their healthiest. As we age, so do our eggs, bringing with it a higher chance of miscarriage or giving birth to a child with a congenital anomaly. Additionally, the set number of eggs recruited during your cycle decreases as your ovaries begin to sense the reserve is running low. The fewer eggs you have, the more difficult it is to get pregnant. Though there are no guarantees with egg freezing, it does give the advantage of retrieving your eggs when they’re in their prime and stopping their aging process.

Once a decision is made to undergo the procedure, the research process begins. The best way to get the information you need is to go to the source and ask infertility doctors the right questions to find the best egg freezing clinic. We had the chance to speak with Incita Fertility Medical Director Dr. Matthew Macer to discuss the five crucial questions you should be asking before you freeze your eggs. 

What is your success rate on freezing and thawing eggs?

When asking questions, you want to start by getting a sense of how proficient the fertility clinic of your choice is. Ask for data that shows how successful they are in freezing your eggs after they are retrieved and thawing them once they are ready to be used, also known as the oocyte cryo survival rate.

After egg retrieval, a woman’s eggs are frozen through a process called vitrification. According to the Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, “the first step of vitrification is to move your eggs through a series of solutions that gradually removes water from them…[t]he solutions also contain a cryoprotectant that penetrates your eggs’ cell membranes to replace the removed water and protect your eggs. Your eggs are then placed in a device and stored in liquid nitrogen.”

Once a woman is ready to get pregnant, the eggs are carefully thawed and fertilized in the lab with sperm. Several days later, the embryos are placed into her uterus, Dr. Macer explains. Studies show that 90-95% of eggs frozen survive the freezing and thawing process. Getting the individualized success rates from each clinic will give you a better picture of who you should move forward with.

What are your pregnancy rates for women who have frozen eggs here and come back to use them?

According to Dr. Macer, clinical pregnancy rates have been estimated between 4-15% per oocyte. Taking into account that egg freezing is relatively new and the current statistics available are of the less effective “slow freezing” technique, more data is needed to have a better idea of these success rates. Tip: when asking for rates, be sure to check they are from the clinic you’re interested in. Some clinics may provide average figures based on published data. It may help to also ask to see their success rates by age.

Ultimately, pregnancy rates are affected by two important factors: the woman’s age at the time of egg freezing and the number of available eggs.

How do you store your eggs?

After undergoing vitrification, your eggs need to be kept at a stable temperature to prevent the egg from aging or thawing ahead of time. The fertility clinic of your choice should have cryopreservation tanks that ensure the egg remains at -196 degrees celsius. These insulated tanks contain a specific amount of liquid nitrogen. Being that this substance evaporates over time, it has to be replaced periodically to ensure the temperature remains constant.

What are the safety and security measures you have in place for retrieved eggs?

The facility you choose must have measures in place for egg safety. Most labs have multiple alarm systems set up to notify the team of any changes or power outages that may occur to ensure eggs stay frozen, says Dr. Macer. Onsite embryologists should continuously monitor the eggs, in addition to an automated security system to provide ample time to fix any problems before it has an impact on the egg.

What are your storage fees?

Once your eggs are frozen, you can store them for as long as you want. You’ll typically pay an annual fee ranging from $500 to $1,000 a year for storage, Dr. Macer shares. There’s also no need to worry if you move in the future. Your eggs can be transported safely to another facility.