Procedure guide · Reproductive medicine
Egg freezing removes mature eggs from the ovaries and freezes them for possible later use. The National Cancer Institute describes it as a way to preserve fertility. Later the eggs can be thawed and fertilised in a laboratory. The process uses the same stimulation and collection steps as IVF, but no embryo is created at this stage.
What is egg freezing?
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust sets out four steps:
- daily hormone injections to help several mature eggs develop
- scans, and sometimes blood tests, to check the response
- egg collection, usually through the vagina under sedation
- rapid freezing of the eggs on the day of collection, a method called vitrification
When you want to use them, the eggs are thawed and fertilised with sperm. Any embryos can then be transferred to the womb. The trust notes that the chance of a pregnancy depends on your age when the eggs were collected and how many are stored. Freezing eggs does not mean a pregnancy will follow.
Who may consider it?
The NHS trust says egg freezing is open to anyone who wants to keep the option of pregnancy. One advantage is that the decision to use the eggs later is yours alone. The NCI advises people facing cancer treatment to talk with their doctor and a fertility specialist before treatment starts, if a biological child may matter to them.
The trust lists risks to discuss. They include ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, small risks from egg collection such as bleeding or infection, and the chance that a cycle is cancelled. Your specialist decides whether it is safe for you.
If you have cancer
The trust notes that stimulation can delay cancer treatment and that sometimes treatment cannot wait. Your oncologist and fertility specialist must agree the timing together.
Which reports does a specialist usually ask for?
A fertility specialist will usually want your hormone tests and a recent pelvic ultrasound report. Your medical history and current medicines matter too. If you have cancer, send your diagnosis, pathology and planned treatment, with your oncologist’s contact details. Ask the clinic which blood tests for infection it needs before collection.
How do you plan the trip?
Plan around the stimulation phase, monitoring visits and egg collection. You will need an adult to take you back from the clinic after sedation. Ask how long the eggs will be stored in India and what consent forms cover. Ask also how the eggs could be used or moved later. Rules on storage and transfer may differ between India and your country, so ask early.
What should you ask the clinic?
- Is the clinic registered on the National ART and Surrogacy Registry?
- How many collection cycles do you expect I might need, and why?
- How long will the eggs be stored, and what are the renewal rules?
- Can stored eggs be moved to another country later?
- What happens to the eggs if I cannot be contacted?
- Who do I contact about side effects after I fly home?
Questions people ask
What is the difference between egg freezing and embryo freezing?
Egg freezing stores unfertilised eggs. Embryo freezing stores eggs that have already been fertilised with sperm. Guy’s and St Thomas’ notes that with frozen eggs you decide alone how to use them. With embryos both partners must agree.
Can I freeze my eggs before cancer treatment?
The NCI advises talking with your doctor and a fertility specialist before cancer treatment begins. The process takes time and can sometimes delay treatment. Your oncology and fertility teams decide together whether it is safe and possible.
Do I need someone with me on the day of egg collection?
Yes. Guy’s and St Thomas’ says eggs are usually collected under sedation and you need a trusted adult to take you home afterwards. Plan for a companion to stay with you during this part of the trip.
Sources
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust: Freezing eggs or embryos
- National Cancer Institute: Female fertility and cancer
- National ART and Surrogacy Registry
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. Your treating specialist decides on suitability, treatment and length of stay. How we write and check.