| Although fertilized eggs have been cryopreserved as | | | | third day of her menstrual cycle. At the same time a |
| embryos at various stages of development for the | | | | vaginal ultrasound is performed in order to document |
| past 20 years and have consistently given rise to | | | | that a good supply of eggs are present in her |
| viable pregnancies, freezing unfertilized eggs has | | | | ovaries. |
| proved to be largely unsuccessful until recently. New | | | | When a woman is deemed to be a good candidate |
| developments in techniques of cryopreservation have | | | | to produce a sufficient quantity of eggs for |
| been reported by only in a handful of laboratories | | | | cryopreservation, her ovaries can be stimulated with |
| throughout the world. | | | | fertility medications in a manner similar to that used |
| Patients who would benefit from the | | | | for IVF. Egg follicle development is monitored with |
| cryopreservation of the unfertilized eggs fall into two | | | | ultrasound measurement of ovarian follicle size and |
| categories. The first are those unfortunate young | | | | Estradiol levels. When the follicles are mature, another |
| women who are diagnosed with a malignant disease | | | | hormone, HCG, is administered to complete the |
| and who require either chemotherapy or radiation | | | | maturation process. |
| therapy which will render them irreversibly infertile. | | | | The eggs are then harvested 36 hours thereafter, |
| The second group consists of women who wish to | | | | using ultrasound guided transvaginal aspiration with |
| cryopreserve some of their eggs in an attempt to | | | | conscious sedation. The procedure usually takes |
| preserve their fecundity for the future. | | | | between 5 and 10 minutes of actual operating time. |
| When considering the feasibility of cryopreserving her | | | | Mature oocytes are then cryopreserved and stored |
| unfertilized eggs, a woman needs to initially determine | | | | in liquid nitrogen. Cryopreserved oocytes will be |
| her suitability for this process by checking her | | | | stored in an approved long-term cryopreservation |
| hormones (FSH, LH, and Estradiol) on the second or | | | | facility. |