Egg Freezing

If you need to put your kids plan on hold then you can quite literally put it on ice with the baby-making experts at Genea. We can collect your eggs and sperm in fairly straightforward treatments through our clinics and then use our world-leading technology to freeze them.

Freezing and storing potential future babies is also a super important part of IVF cycles and ICSI cycles too. Any extra embryos created during the IVF process and not transferred fresh can be frozen in our labs and safely stored in specially designed tanks in our clinics. During the PGS and PGD process, embryos are frozen and kept on ice while our scientists do their clever testing stuff.

Freezing eggs

You might be Googling egg freezing because you have a medical situation that might cause some damage to them and impair ovarian function such as imminent chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment for cancer. We know that time is of the essence when it comes to protecting your fertility ahead of cancer treatment so please get in touch with us so one of our Fertility Specialists can quickly discuss the right plan for you. Other women choose to freeze their eggs because they are aware of the impact of age on fertility and want to give themselves options in later years and put their baby-making on ice. (Is anyone else humming Ice, Ice Baby to themselves? No? Just me?)

Egg freezing at Genea Horizon

Egg freezing for medical and non-medical reasons is available at all of our clinics but if you are able to visit Genea Sydney CBD, Genea Horizon is our dedicated egg freezing clinic (for non-medical reasons). The first of its kind, we offer clinical excellence at an affordable cost in an environment that understands and caters specifically for women who are considering their future fertility options. Genea Horizon is also now available at Genea Canberra and Genea Hollywood Fertility in Perth.

Visit the website

Britt and Laura chat to Genea Fertility Specialist Dr Cheryl Phua all things fertility, including egg freezing.

Freezing sperm

Men can also put their fertility on ice by freezing their sperm. Sperm is frozen using a slightly different method and then safely stored in specially designed tanks in our clinics. Clinicians may recommend that you freeze sperm:

if you are about to undergo major surgery or medical treatments, such as radiation or chemotherapy treatment for cancer;
if you are exposed to a toxic environment;
if you are having a vasectomy (and there is a possibility that you may want to have children in the future); or
if you have a dangerous profession or pastime where there is risk of injury.

Patients also freeze sperm ahead of assisted reproductive treatment as a backup just in case they are unable to attend due to travel or other commitments or if they have experienced difficulty collecting a sample.

Freezing embryos

Our BHAGoal at Genea is to do one egg and sperm collection per patient and from this one stimulation cycle, create enough good quality embryos for patients to complete their family. It’s the egg collection, with the hormone injections, day surgery procedure and cost - that are the greatest impost to the woman. In contrast, the subsequent use of frozen embryos is fairly simple, often drug free and less than half the cost of a fresh cycle. At Genea, 58% of patients who achieved a live birth and returned for a frozen transfer have had a second child with just one fresh stimulated IVF cycle^*. The One Cycle, One Family approach is at the heart of what we do and so our vitrification technique is of the highest standard to enable us to achieve this.

About vitrification

Vitrification is the process Genea uses to freeze eggs and embryos. Genea was the first clinic in Australia to develop and routinely replace the old slow freezing method with the more efficient and successful vitrification process. Older techniques risked ice crystals forming during the freezing process. We want to avoid ice crystals forming in your eggs or embryos as this can result in cell damage. Thankfully, vitrification technology is similar to snap freezing and removes the risk of ice crystals forming. Our scientists place the eggs or embryos in a special solution called a vitrification medium and that solution is then cooled so quickly that the structure of the water molecules (in the eggs and embryos) doesn’t have time to form ice crystals. Instead, it instantaneously solidifies into a glass-like structure.

If you’re thinking about your fertility treatment and egg freezing options, making sure that you have access to leading science is key. Genea draws on more than 30 years’ experience in fertility treatment to offer the latest innovative fertility technologies. Protecting and storing your embryos and eggs in optimal fluid and offering consistency in freezing results maximises the potential for you to have a baby in the future.

^*1st Genea Stimulated Cycle between Aug16-Dec17 (2169 patients). Following subsequent Cryos through to Mar19. Autologous patients only (no donor oocytes or surrogates). Sites from Kent St, Liverpool, Canberra, Norwest/Bella Vista, Illawarra. Oocyte Vitrification patients excluded.
^{^}Applicable for Medicare eligible patients. No-out-of-pocket Fertility Assessment is for an initial virtual consultation with our Fertility GP. Additional costs may be incurred for fertility investigations.

Eveything you need to know about egg freezing with Genea Medical Director Associate Professor Mark Bowman on Vogue Australia's Baby Steps podcast.

Australian Journalist, Juliette chats about her decision to freeze her eggs.

FAQ

Vitrification is the process we use to freeze your eggs and embryos.

Egg freezing is a relatively straightforward process which takes approx. 11-15 days. Here's what's involved:
Step 1. Pre-treatment tests: To start, you'll have three key tests – two blood tests and one ultrasound. Then you'll meet your Fertility Specialist who will create your treatment plan. Counselling will also be offered to help decide if this decision is right for you.
Step 2. Egg stimulation: Over a period of approx.. 10 days, we stimulate the ovaries by self-administered injections. You'll also need to come into the clinic for a few early morning blood tests and ultrasounds.
Step 3. Egg collection: A short 10-20 minute procedure to collect your eggs takes place in Genea’s Day Surgery. Although it’s a quick visit, a day off work is recommended.
Step 4. Vitrification and storage: Your eggs are then vitrified and then safely stored with us until you’re ready to use them.

As egg quality and quantity decrease with age, the younger you freeze your eggs, the better. Early 20s to early 30s will offer you the best chance of a baby in the future.
The egg is the largest cell in the human body, full of delicate structures. Beyond the age of 35, a woman's eggs become more fragile and less likely to survive the freeze/thaw process and create healthy embryos. Maximum chance of success decreases with age.

We recommend consulting a specialist as soon as you start considering egg freezing, so you can talk through options and timeframes with a doctor based on investigative test results, personal circumstances and your hopes for the future.

Although egg freezing has greatly improved over the past decade, it should not be considered an insurance policy. The reality is that freezing your eggs and storing them does not guarantee a baby. However, preserving your fertility through egg freezing can be one way of maximising the potential of having a baby later in life.

Limited data exists on egg freezing success rates as fewer than 10 per cent of patients return to use their eggs, such a small cohort doesn’t provide a statistically significant reflection of pregnancy rates, as a result of treatment. However, it is important for you to consider Genea’s IVF success rates, should you return to use your eggs in the hope of having a baby.

Storage costs can be viewed here.