Recently, egg freezing has become a hot topic among many women. As they age and their physical functions decline, many women hope to preserve younger and healthier eggs through egg freezing, providing more and better choices for future fertility. For women who want to marry and have children later, this is indeed very attractive. So, is freezing eggs really feasible? Is the cost expensive?
Frozen eggs, also known as low-temperature storage of egg cells in medicine, refer to the use of hormones to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, then take the eggs out of the ovaries and bring them back to the laboratory, cool them to below zero degrees, and store them for later thawing.
The egg retrieval process of egg freezing is the same as that of in vitro fertilization. Most patients need to undergo ovulation induction measures, which involve taking ovulation inducing drugs to release multiple mature eggs at once, and then using a puncture needle with a diameter of less than 2 millimeters to retrieve the eggs.
The retrieved eggs are first placed in cryoprotectant for pre-treatment to dehydrate them. Dehydrate thoroughly before freezing. There are two methods of freezing: one is programmed freezing, which gradually cools and freezes according to a set program, and finally stores it in liquid nitrogen; Another method is rapid vitrification freezing, in which eggs are pre treated in cryoprotectants and then rapidly stored in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 ℃. Due to the minimal damage to eggs caused by vitrification freezing, this method is currently mainly used.
When frozen eggs need to be fertilized, they can be thawed. Thawing needs to be done quickly, usually by directly removing the egg from liquid nitrogen to room temperature, in order to prevent ice crystal formation and avoid damaging cell membranes and organelles such as mitochondria. Due to the drastic temperature changes that may cause denaturation of large molecular substances such as proteins, protective agents are also required during the recovery process. After recovery, the surviving eggs can undergo in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.
The cost of egg freezing generally includes ovulation induction fees, egg retrieval fees, and storage fees. In addition, when using frozen eggs, micro fertilization and embryo development are also necessary. The cost may vary depending on the hospital in different regions, and is also unrelated to hospitalization expenses and technical proficiency.
Most young women's eggs have strong vitality, high quality, and large quantity. If 25 eggs can be collected in one surgery, there is no need for a second surgery, as egg retrieval surgery also has certain risks. Therefore, $15000 can solve the problem. In the United States, freezing and storing eggs costs approximately $350-500 per year. However, in the process of egg freezing, thawing, in vitro fertilization, and culture, there are variables at every step. The smooth development of frozen eggs into a fetus is not a simple matter. Women who want to freeze eggs should carefully consider it!
