Egg, Sperm & embryo freezing
Get in touch with us about Egg, Sperm & embryo freezing today
The technical name for the freezing process is “cryopreservation”, and the storage process is called “cryogenic storage”.
Eggs, sperm and embryos can all be cryopreserved and stored. It is a relatively straightforward procedure. Current guidelines indicate that the maximum storage of eggs, sperm and embryos should be 10 years. Cryopreservation is used in many situations including; genetic screening and diagnosis treatment, when there are additional embryos from an IVF cycle or storage of excess sperm from a surgical sperm recovery.
If you have previously had eggs, sperm or embryos frozen at another clinic, it is an easy process to arrange for the frozen embryos to be transferred to Fertility Tasmania.
Freeze All Cycles
In the past we preferred to perform fresh embryo transfers for most patients because the embryos had a better chance of implanting and developing into a baby than frozen embryos did. However, for the past 5 years techniques for freezing and transferring the embryos have improved so much that frozen embryos now have an equal or perhaps better chance of implanting than fresh embryos. Cycles where we choose to do this are called “freeze all”.
Some of the reasons for “freeze all” cycle.
- Planned storage of embryos prior to receiving medical treatment, such as chemotherapy for cancer that can affect future fertility by damaging the eggs in the ovaries. This can also be done for eggs if you are not ready to make embryos.
- To prevent the risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in patients that have developed many follicles and have a high estradiol level. Ovarian stimulation syndrome is a potentially dangerous condition that is increased and worsened when a patient becomes pregnant. By freezing the embryos and transferring them after the ovaries are no longer stimulated it reduces the chances of this condition.
- Preimplantation Genetic Screening or Diagnosis. Some patients chose to have their embryos tested to see if they have a normal set of chromosomes, or to see if they do not contain specific genetic mutations that can cause a disease, such as cystic fibrosis. This testing can be done on embryos by removing a small portion of the embryo and testing the genes in the cells removed. The embryos are frozen after the biopsy and are later transferred once the results from the testing are available. Embryos with a normal set of chromosomes have a very high rate of implanting in the uterus and developing into a baby
- Patient or Doctor Preference. Our doctors and embryologists often recommend that patients plan to freeze all of their good quality embryos because they think they have a better chance of implanting and developing into a baby than embryos transferred after ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval. There is a concern that the high hormone levels associated with ovarian stimulation might affect the lining of the uterus, making it less likely to for the transferred embryos to implant. We see this particularly in patients who develop higher progesterone levels earlier in the ovarian stimulation cycle.
Sperm Freezing
Life is unpredictable and there are many situations that could impede with your future fertility, such as:
- Cost
-
$730
- Sperm Freezing (includes 6 months complimentary storage)
-
$730
Cryo-Accommodation rates
If you have material (eggs, sperm or embryos) in cryogenic storage at Fertility Tasmania you will be charge a cryo-accommodation fee every 6 months from the anniversary of initial storage. Current cryo- accommodation rates are listed below.
-
Cryo-Accommodation rates
(6 months storage) - 1 category (eggs, sperm or embryo)
-
Fertility Tasmania Fee
$250
Final Cost to Patient
$250
- 2 categories (eggs, sperm or embryo)
-
Fertility Tasmania Fee
$250 per category
Final Cost to Patient
$250 per category
- 3 categories (eggs, sperm or embryo)
-
Fertility Tasmania Fee
$500
Final Cost to Patient
$500