The term refers to the cryopreservation or freezing of eggs and sperm as part of a fertility preservation programme. In today's world, this procedure is a common practice that gives us a unique opportunity to preserve our sex cells for later use if we are delaying parenthood for the time being.
Egg freezing
A woman is generally at her most fertile before the age of 30. After the age of 35, the quality of her eggs and her fertility declines significantly. By the age of 40, only about 20% of women can conceive without problems. Freezing eggs at a young age (preferably before the age of 30) therefore ensures that the cells are preserved at the highest quality. Cryopreservation can of course also be carried out at an older age, but the eggs may no longer be of the best possible quality.
For whom is egg cryopreservation suitable?
- For women under 30 years of age
- For patients with a cancer diagnosis or other health problem
- For women currently without a partner
- For women delaying parenthood
How does cryopreservation work?
After booking an initial consultation, you will have an interview with a doctor and tests. The tests include a blood draw, but do not require the patient to come in fasting. For 10 days we will use medication to stimulate the ovaries to produce a higher number of eggs. Therefore, after a week of application, you will have an ultrasound check and an egg retrieval appointment will be scheduled. The retrieval itself is painless as we perform it under general anesthesia. After a short rest, you will be able to go home and your eggs will be frozen.
At Unica Clinics, we use the latest CryoTop technology, where the cells are immersed in liquid nitrogen at -196°C and immediately frozen. This method is significantly more gentle than slow freezing. It turns the water in the cells into ice crystals, which often damage the eggs. However, thanks to CryoTop technology, up to 95% of the eggs remain perfectly fine after thawing. Using this latest method of cryopreservation, we achieve comparable IVF treatment results to using fresh eggs.
Sperm freezing
Approximately 15% of all couples experience infertility. In up to half of the cases, the problem is the man's. Although the topic is less talked about than for women, men too have a biological clock ticking.
For whom is sperm cryopreservation suitable?
For patients with a cancer diagnosis or other health problem
for men currently without a partner
for men delaying parenthood
for men with risky occupations/sports
How is cryopreservation performed?
At your pre-booked first visit, you will have a blood and urine test in addition to an interview. If the tests are normal, we will book you in for a semen collection, which takes place in comfortable and discreet rooms on-site at the clinic. The collected sperm will be subjected to a spermogram and frozen in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 °C in the Unica cryobank.
