Consultation for egg freezing

For more than 50 years, scientists have been working to perfect the art of freezing and storing a woman's eggs, also known as “egg banking”. Although there have been challenges, the progress has been both amazing and is promising. 

Since the birth of the first "frozen egg baby" in the mid-1980s, we've celebrated than 6,000 -7000 births worldwide from thawed eggs. However, this is a relatively a small number when compared to the 5-6 million IVF babies and 1.5- to 2 million babies born from transferred frozen embryos during the same time.

Recently, there have been significant improvements in using frozen eggs to create embryos. Presently,  success rates are comparable to that  using frozen embryos especially when the latter have been screened for competency, using preimplantation genetic testing (PGT/ preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy ( PGT-A). Interestingly, currently, eggs are not screened using these techniques before they are frozen.

Let's talk about who can benefit from this incredible advancement:

• Fertility Preservation (FP) for Women: FP is like a beacon of hope for women looking to preserve their fertility for the future. The potential demand for FP using frozen eggs is estimated to be 4-6 times higher than traditional IVF. This can be a lifeline for:
  • Women facing the possibility of losing their ovarian function due to approaching menopause, planned ovary removal, or medical treatments like radiation or chemotherapy.
  • Women planning to delay childbearing due to career aspirations, not being ready for a permanent relationship, or concerns about their biological clock.
  • Couples Opposed to Embryo Freezing: For couples who have ethical or religious concerns about freezing embryos, the option of freezing eggs brings hope and aligns with their beliefs.

As technology continues to evolve, we are moving towards a future where egg freezing is both safe, reliable, and accessible to all. It allows individuals to make informed decisions about their future and family planning. However, a word of advice: Women should consider freezing their eggs at a younger age (below 35 years) when their eggs are at their healthiest. Older women, especially those over 39, should approach this with caution as the “competency" of their eggs declines with age.

Imagine having the chance to fulfill the dream of having a family through a wonderful solution called egg banking. This amazing process involves storing healthy eggs that are later used to help women struggling with infertility to have a baby through IVF and embryo transfer.

In the United States, around 20,000 IVF procedures using donated eggs happen each year, making up about 15% of all IVF cycles. People are seeking affordable options for IVF, with many traveling abroad \for lower-cost treatments.

• Donor Egg Banks: Recently, frozen egg banks have emerged, offering access to eggs that haven't been genetically tested. While using fresh donor eggs is a bit more successful than using frozen ones (around 40-50% versus 30-35% success rate per embryo transfer), the difference is very small . However, many frozen eggs may not survive the thawing process to become embryos, which affects the success rate. To improve success rates, most egg banks suggest buying at least six eggs at a time, each costing about $3,000.

In the United States, the cost of IVF using frozen donor eggs is high, prompting many to seek treatment in other countries ( “Medical tourism”). A significant part of this cost is associated with donor stipends and agency fees. This is why there's a real need for a better way to access healthy donated eggs for IVF.

Conclusion:

The in vitro fertilization (IVF) market in the United States is rapidly growing and is approaching a value of $25 billion. The demand for egg banking, especially for Fertility Preservation (FP), is expected to be two to three times greater than conventional IVF. If even 10% of this potential FP market is tapped within the next five years, it could result in an annual industry worth over $3.5 billion. This shows the incredible potential of egg banking in making family dreams come true.

This amazing  journey of advancements is paving the way for new hopes and dreams. It's about giving people choices and the power to decide when and how to shape their families. Egg banking is not just about preserving eggs; it's about preserving dreams and the possibility of a beautiful tomorrow.

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Herewith are  online links to 2  E-books recently  co-authored with  my partner at SFS-NY  (Drew Tortoriello MD)....... for your reading pleasure:

1. From In Vitro Fertilization to Family: A Journey with Sher Fertility Solutions (SFS) ; https://sherfertilitysolutions.com/sher-fertility-solutions-ebook.pdf

1. Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Unexplained IVF Failure: The Immunologic Link ;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iYKz-EkAjMqwMa1ZcufIloRdxnAfDH8L/view

If you are interested in having an online consultation with me, please contact my assistant, Patti Converse at 702-533-2691 or email her at concierge@sherivf.com\