×

What does it involve?

Egg vitrification is a fertility preservation technique that involves the ultra-rapid freezing of eggs so they can be used in the future.

To vitrify eggs, a prior ovarian stimulation is required to obtain a sufficient number of eggs (just like in in vitro fertilization – IVF). The eggs are retrieved through an ovarian puncture performed in the operating room under mild sedation. They are then frozen in the lab using the vitrification technique. When the woman decides to become pregnant, the eggs are thawed and fertilized in the laboratory. The resulting embryos are transferred to the patient’s uterus to enable pregnancy.

When is egg vitrification recommended?

Today, one of the main causes of infertility is the delay in the age at which women try to conceive. In modern society, many women prioritize personal and professional stability before deciding to have a child, which often happens between the ages of 35 and 40. For this reason, and because female fertility is directly linked to age, more and more women have trouble getting pregnant naturally.

Egg vitrification is one of the best techniques to preserve fertility. It is recommended for young women who plan to postpone pregnancy and want the option to use their own eggs in the future.

Since a good ovarian reserve is essential for egg vitrification, it is advisable to undergo the procedure as early as possible, as egg quality decreases with age.

This technique is also recommended for women who need to undergo medical treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or ovarian surgery due to tumors or endometriosis, which can reduce ovarian reserve. Vitrifying eggs before such aggressive treatments allows assisted reproduction techniques to be used after recovery, in case natural conception is not possible.

Questions with answers

  • What is the ideal age to freeze my eggs?

    After the age of 35, egg quality significantly decreases, making it very difficult to achieve pregnancy spontaneously after 40. For this reason, if you are between 30 and 35 and don’t plan to become a mother in the short term, you can freeze your eggs to protect them from aging and preserve your fertility.

  • What does the egg retrieval treatment involve? Will I be able to continue with my daily life?

    To retrieve mature eggs, a prior ovarian stimulation is needed through hormonal treatment that lasts around 15 days. During this time, you'll need approximately three check-ups with your gynecologist.

    After that, a simple procedure will be scheduled under sedation and on an outpatient basis. On that day, it’s recommended to rest.

    The retrieved eggs will then be vitrified and stored in optimal conditions at the GIROFIV Egg Bank.

    Any minor discomfort that might arise during the process will subside once the treatment ends.

  • Does it cause side effects?

    No, it’s not true that the ovarian stimulation needed to retrieve eggs increases the risk of cancer, weight gain, sudden acne, or other undesired effects.

  • Can it trigger early menopause?

    No, the treatment does not affect the age at which menopause begins. Under normal conditions, a woman has a reserve of around 300,000 eggs. In each ovarian cycle, 100 to 200 eggs are used, of which only one or two ovulate. The rest are lost during menstruation. This process leads to the maturation of eggs that would otherwise be lost, without affecting the total number of eggs produced by the woman.

  • How long can eggs remain frozen?

    Technically, as long as cryopreservation conditions are maintained (liquid nitrogen at -196 ºC), eggs can be preserved indefinitely.

    However, frozen eggs are usually used within an average period of six years.

  • Will I be able to conceive naturally after the procedure?

    Yes. Ovarian stimulation and subsequent egg vitrification do not affect a woman's ovarian reserve. Vitrified eggs are simply a “backup” in case you face difficulties conceiving when you decide to become a mother.

  • What should I do when I want to use my frozen eggs?

    When you decide to use your cryopreserved eggs, they just need to be thawed and inseminated. The resulting embryos will be transferred to the uterus. Usually, a mild treatment is done beforehand to prepare the uterus to receive the embryos.

  • What are the chances of getting pregnant after freezing my eggs?

    It depends on several factors, especially the number and quality of the eggs at the time of freezing, but generally speaking, it is a highly effective technique, and the chances of achieving pregnancy are high.

  • Are babies born from vitrified eggs healthy?

    Although it's a relatively new technique, available data on babies born through IVF with vitrified eggs shows no differences compared to those born through the same technique without vitrification. In other words, using vitrified eggs does NOT increase the risk of neonatal problems.