For how long can you freeze your eggs? Does the quality deteriorate?

An insightful blog about egg freezing and its impact on egg quality by experts of Gunjan IVF World – the best IVF centre in Ghaziabad.

Why Choose Egg Freezing ?

Many women opt for egg freezing because they wish to delay motherhood for the time being and fulfill the dream someday. Given that no one knows what the future holds, women today have started to freeze their fertility before their 30s to keep hopes of motherhood alive. It gives them the freedom to focus on career, health in case of cancer treatments or in some cases wait for the right partner without feeling guilty about their choice. Fertility preservation is a relatively new approach, but it’s already getting very popular. However, women considering egg freezing often ask us one question: for how many years can they freeze their eggs without compromising on the quality of their eggs?

How long can eggs be frozen IVF

“Egg freezing might sound to be very interesting and an in thing in today’s time but it is necessary for people considering it to first know about the process of egg freezing. Enquiring about the best duration of freezing eggs can be checked later. In egg freezing or oocyte cryopreservation, a woman’s eggs are extracted, frozen and stored for later use. The egg retrieval process is the same as the one used in IVF, and then the eggs are immediately frozen. There are no expiry dates for these frozen eggs. Theoretically, these could remain unaffected for decades without experiencing any decline or decay,” explains Dr. Gunjan Gupta, leading IVF specialist Ghaziabad, and Founder & Director of Gunjan IVF World – the best IVF center in Ghaziabad. Dr. Gunjan Gupta heads an expert team of gynaecologists including Dr. Aastha Raheja, Dr. Anshu Dhar, Dr. Garima Sharma, Dr. Meenakshi Arya and Dr. Shubhda Gupta who sit out of highly advanced clinics in Ghaziabad, Janakpuri, Meerut and Noida.

“The eggs are dehydrated post retrieval. The fluid is replaced with a special anti- freezing liquid to avoid forming ice crystals on the eggs. During the thawing process, crystals over eggs can melt and deteriorate the eggs quality,” says Dr. Aastha Raheja, Consultant at Gunjan IVF World – renowned IVF clinic in Ghaziabad. “With the help of advanced technologies, egg freezing can be done at a very rapid pace post retrieval without hampering the quality of eggs. While it is natural to lose around 10% eggs during the thawing process, the quality remains similar to the fresh ones,” adds Dr. Anshu Dhar, Consultant at Gunjan IVF World – the best IVF centre in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.

Age of Women vs Egg Quality

“The age of the woman at the time of egg retrieval has a direct influence of the quality. The main purpose here is to preserve the quality of the eggs at that time. But do remember that fertility or live birth doesn’t only depend on the quality of eggs. A woman in her 40s might have difficulties carrying a baby even with the egg she froze in her 20s. It does not guarantee a pregnancy; but it gives a better chance, even an option to have a surrogacy,” says Dr. Garima Sharma, Consultant & Centre In-Charge at Gujan IVF World – the best IVF centre in Delhi.

How long can you freeze your eggs ?

“According to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, one can freeze their eggs for up to 10 years in India. However, in special cases like cancer patients, one can freeze their eggs for longer than a decade with special permission from the national ART board,” says Dr. Shubhda Gupta, Consultant at Gunjan IVF World – the best IVF centre in Noida.

Conclusion

So, the quality of frozen eggs depends mostly on the age one is freezing, the advancements of technologies used for the process, and less on the duration of freezing. Choosing a fertility clinic wisely and following the doctor’s advice are the key to successfully preserving fertility.

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