Preserving

Female Fertility

Egg cryopreservation is possible at AVA Clinic.

If it is too soon to start thinking about having children, this solution gives you the possibility of waiting for the perfect time.

Egg freezing

If you are worried about a decrease in the quality of your eggs (it has been scientifically proven that egg quality starts to fall after the age of 35);
If you are suffering from cancer and need to protect your eggs from treatments that may affect your reproductive system;
If you have a medical condition that directly affects your ovarian reserve and may affect your fertility in the future;
If you need to postpone having children for work reasons;
If you don’t feel emotionally prepared for pregnancy;
If you still haven’t achieved the right financial stability;
If you haven’t found the right partner yet.

How are eggs frozen?

The treatment protocols for cryopreservation of eggs consist initially of hormone stimulation of the ovaries so that several eggs develop in your ovaries. Without medication, a woman’s ovary produces only one egg in each cycle. The goal in a fertility preservation treatment is for us to retrieve several eggs in the same cycle. The ovaries, therefore, need to be stimulated and this is done with hormone injections. We monitor this response by ultrasound and calculate the right day for your egg collection. Our team of embryologists uses the vitrification technique to cryopreserve your eggs (freezing them at -196ºC).

How long can eggs be frozen for?

There is no time limit for egg freezing and they can remain frozen indefinitely.

Under the Portuguese law, cryopreservation of eggs lasts for five years but can be renewed if the patient wishes to do so.

Is pregnancy guaranteed with frozen eggs?

Although it’s not possible to guarantee a pregnancy, the success rates after thawing of your eggs will be very similar to a fresh cycle of IVF. The eggs will be fertilised with the sperm in the lab and then the embryos will be transferred to the uterus.

Around 85% to 90% of eggs survive the freezing process. These procedures currently have a success rate very similar to medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatments with fresh eggs.

What do I need to do to cryopreserve eggs at AVA Clinic?

If you are interested in egg freezing at our unit, all you need to do is make an appointment with one of our specialists to plan your treatment.

If you have any questions regarding fertility preservation, please contact us directly and we will be happy to answer them.