What is Egg Freezing?
Egg freezing is a means of preserving a woman’s fertility by prolonging the window during which to have a baby. The treatment involves self-administering fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries into producing multiple eggs, which can then be collected during a short procedure and frozen for future use.
Like most fertility treatments, egg freezing can be expensive and is rarely covered by health insurance. In the United States, a single round of egg freezing treatment costs around US$16,000. In Cayman, egg freezing starts at around US$5,500, with storage fees starting at US$675 per year. The availability of treatment in Cayman makes it considerably more affordable for residents who previously would have had to travel to the US or elsewhere, with all the associated travel and accommodation costs.
Cryopreservation - a method of rapidly freezing human cells - has greatly increased the success rate of many fertility treatments.
The Popularity of Egg Freezing
Until fairly recently, egg freezing was a procedure offered to women requiring treatment for cancer, or who had a health condition impacting their fertility such as lupus or endometriosis. Freezing eggs for future use offered an opportunity to have a family which might not have been possible otherwise.
In recent years, innovation in cryopreservation has greatly increased the success rate of fertility treatments which use frozen eggs, sperm and embryos, transforming the fertility industry. Vitrification is a method of rapidly freezing human cells through immersion in liquid nitrogen, reducing the likelihood of ice crystals forming within the cell which can cause irreparable damage.
The increase in success rate, as well as changing social norms, has opened up the fertility industry to same-sex couples and single parents, and now provides women with the opportunity to preserve their fertility through egg freezing. This type of egg freezing is sometimes referred to as social egg freezing, to distinguish it from egg freezing for medical reasons.
Women are now opting to freeze their eggs for a myriad of reasons, including not feeling financially ready, wishing to focus on their career and perhaps most commonly because they either experience unexpected relationship breakdown or are yet to meet the right partner.
For many women, egg freezing is an empowering way of gaining greater control over their own fertility and motherhood journey, allowing them to ‘pause’ their body clock and have a baby when the conditions are right for them.
The Treatment
Treatment generally begins with a reproductive health assessment including a pelvic ultrasound scan and an anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) blood test to assess a woman's ovarian reserve. The assessment offers an opportunity for a patient to discuss their reproductive goals and the physician to advise on the suitability of various fertility treatments.
The first stage of many common fertility treatments is ovarian stimulation. In an ordinary menstrual cycle, a woman’s body naturally releases several hormones to prepare the body for pregnancy. One hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), is made in the pituitary gland and is usually released between days 6-14 of a cycle. FSH encourages several follicles in the ovaries to grow and develop, each of which contains an egg. Between days 10-14 of a cycle, the dominant follicle will continue to grow, forming a fully mature egg. Around day 14 of a 28-day cycle, the body produces luteinising hormone (LH) causing this single mature follicle to rupture and release its egg, ready for fertilisation. If the egg is fertilised it will implant in the lining of the uterus, which has grown and thickened in the days since menstruation.
Ovarian stimulation replicates the initial stage of a woman’s cycle. It seeks to encourage the body to develop multiple mature eggs which can then be removed from the body and frozen for future use. The treatment involves self-administering daily hormone drugs over the course of two weeks, during which time doctors will conduct regular ultrasound scans and blood tests to monitor the body’s response to the medication.
If the stimulation process is successful, patients self-administer a ‘trigger injection’ prior to the egg collection procedure to prepare the body for retrieval. The eggs are collected from a patients’ ovaries during a straightforward 30-minute procedure, usually performed under light sedation. The eggs can then be frozen either fertilised or unfertilised, or if the patient is undergoing IVF treatment, the eggs are fertilised and implanted into the uterus.
Side Effects
Millions of women around the world have undergone ovarian stimulation and it is generally considered to be a safe procedure. In certain instances, the treatment can cause Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) in which the ovaries swell and leak fluid into the abdomen. Around one third of patients will experience mild symptoms, including swelling of the abdomen and nausea which usually goes away on its own. However, around 1 in 100 women will develop moderate to severe OHSS requiring hospital treatment. Long-term health complications are rare.
Alongside the physical side effects of the drugs there are also the blood tests, scans and daily injections to contend with as well as the reality that the treatment comes with no guarantee of success. For some it is a gruelling experience physically and emotionally.
When to Freeze your Eggs
The most important factor in the success of egg freezing treatment is the age of the woman when she freezes her eggs – in short, the sooner the better. This is because both the number and the quality of a woman’s eggs begin to decline after the age of 35. Fertility specialists advise that the best time to freeze your eggs is in your early 30s, unless you have a medical issue that may complicate conception.
If you are thinking about freezing your eggs, speak to a specialist who will be able to perform a fertility health check and discuss your reproductive goals. Egg freezing can be an emotionally and financially demanding road to go down, with no guarantee of a baby at the end.
Ultimately though, this new technology is providing women with more options, more time and more control over their lives and with it, great peace of mind.
Hannah's Story:
At 32 and having recently come out of a long-term relationship, I found myself at a crossroads. I knew I wanted a family one day, and I felt anxious about my future. After a lot of thought, I decided to take control and freeze my eggs. That decision led me to Cayman Fertility Centre.
From the moment I walked through their doors, I felt reassured. The facilities were modern, state-of-the-art and clean and the staff were kind and supportive. What could have been a daunting and emotional process was made smooth and manageable, thanks to their warmth and professionalism. Every stage of the process from the hormone treatments to the egg retrieval process was explained to me clearly. I never felt rushed, and I always felt empowered to ask questions and understand exactly what was happening.
I had expected the experience to be far more emotionally and physically difficult but in truth, it felt like an act of self-care—a gift to my future self. I now have my eggs safely stored, and I feel a huge sense of relief knowing that I’ve preserved my fertility.
There is also peace of mind knowing that if I ever need to use my eggs they were handled with diligence and care.
