Cryopreservation - Egg Freezing

New England Fertility is one of a very few fertility treatment centers worldwide that currently offers egg freezing, or the cryopreservation of eggs (oocytes) and embryos – that is, the freezing of eggs and embryos at very low temperature(-196° Celsius), which maintains the viability and allows for future use. New England Fertility is also a leader in producing successful full-term live pregnancies from a frozen egg.

Why Egg Freezing

Egg freezing is recommended for various reasons, including:

• Creating an egg donor bank, thus simplifying the process of egg donation.
• Preserving eggs for future use prior to surgery or medical treatment that would negatively affect ovarian function (such as ovarian surgery or chemotherapy). Following successful therapy of the underlying condition, the eggs can be thawed and used for IVF.
• For single women who are concerned about the loss of ovarian function with age. Egg freezing allows women to preserve their reproductive potential as they age.

Embryo Freezing

Following IVF the number of viable embryos often exceeds the number that is recommended for embryo transfer. The "extra" embryos can be frozen and stored, allowing couples to return for another attempt without having to undergo the ovarian stimulation or egg retrieval procedures. This significantly reduces the complexity as well as the cost of the procedure. As with egg freezing, advancements in cryobiology have improved the viability of frozen/thawed embryos to a point where there is only a minor difference in success between "fresh" and frozen embryos.

Laboratory Blood Testing

During the initial consultation, the candidate’s suitability for egg or embryo freezing is discussed in detail. In addition, New England Fertility requires all patients wishing to store eggs to have the following infectious disease tests at the time of the storage. Note: All test results remain confidential. However, it may be necessary to report certain positive test results to the Connecticut Department of Public Help.

• HIV I & II
  
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
  
• Hepatitis B Core Antibody
  
• Hepatitis C
  
• HTLV I & II
  
• Syphilis

To learn more about any of New England Fertility’s services, click on a link, below

• Diagnosis & Treatment
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
• Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
• Egg Donation
• Gestational Surrogacy
• Cryopreservation
• Egg Freezing
• Sperm Freezing
• Gender Selection
• Counseling & Wellness
• Same Sex Couples