Oocyte cryopreservation can be beneficial for women who wish to preserve their fertility for the future and especially women who:

• Desire or are forced to postpone having a child for personal, professional or other reasons.
• Have family medical history of early menopause. Some of these cases have a hereditary base and oocyte cryopreservation offers the chance of fertility preservation prior to the exhaustion of ovarian reserve.
• Are about to begin chemotherapy.

Oocytes maintain the age in which they are frozen. Thus, it is important for cryopreservation to take place at as young an age as possible. The ideal age is considered to be 25-36 years old, but that doesn’t mean that elder women cannot proceed to this procedure. However, studies have shown that the younger a woman is, the better the oocyte quality and quantity are.

Oocyte cryopreservation is done after medical treatment administration in order to stimulate the ovaries and collect as many oocytes as possible. The procedure is similar to conventional IVF treatment, including controlled ovarian stimulation and transvaginal collection of the oocytes. Alternatively, oocyte preservation can be done in a natural (or modified natural cycle), which has the advantage of no or low-dose of drugs administration.

The number of oocytes is relevant to the chances of successful pregnancy: the more the oocytes, the higher the pregnancy rates. With ovarian stimulation more follicles are recruited, without creating new ones or reducing the ovarian reserve.

The only difference from the ivf cycle is that after oocyte collection, the oocytes are not fertilised by the sperm or transferred. The collected oocytes are stripped and only the mature ones are cryopreserved until the patient wishes to fertilise them. Oocytes are cryopreserved with the method of vitrification and then remain in liquid nitrogen (-196^oC).

The whole procedure lasts 8-10 days with ultrasounds and blood tests every 2-3 days. The oocyte collection lasts 15-30 minutes, under light sedation and then the woman can return in her daily routine. At Eugonia, we offer specialized treatment, which induces the final oocyte maturation, ensuring a larger number of mature oocytes, less discomfort and less chance of OHHS.

During vitrification the oocytes are treated with cryoprotective substances and submerged in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196°C. In this way, we inhibit the formation of ice crystals within the cell.

Based on scientific studies, in women under 38 years old, survival rates after thawing can reach each oocyte has a 90% chance of surviving warming. Following that, each oocyte has a 75% chance of fertilisation.

According to the Greek legislation (Ν. 4737/2020 (ΦΕΚ Α’ 204/22-10-2020) cryopreserved oocytes can remain in storage for up to 5 years. The duration of cryopreservation can be extended for a maximum period of twenty (20) years with a written request every five (5) years.
Scientific evidence shows that the storage of frozen oocytes does not compromise quality.

Many women wonder if this method is safe and if the drugs are related to malignancies. According to numerous studies conducted worldwide, cryopreservation is considered to be a safe treatment.

So far, almost 6000 babies have been born from frozen oocytes. All relevant epidemiological studies on thousands of babies born from cryopreserved embryos are reported to be healthy without a statistically important increase of congenital abnormalities.  In 2014, a study has showed that the complications during pregnancy didn’t increased after oocyte thawing. Furthermore there have been over 300.000 children born from frozen embryos, without any increase in congenital abnormalities.

The cost of stimulation, oocyte collection and freezing is less than the cost of single IVF cycle, as it doesn’t include fertilization and embryo transfer. However, you should calculate the cost of the medication which will be needed, in women who don’t have medical insurance. Furthermore, each year the woman is obliged to pay the annual storage fees to the Unit, which are 210 euros, while there are some special financial packages for 3, 5 and 10 year storage. 

In Eugonia, we apply a successful oocyte cryopreservation program, by consulting our patients for all the aspects with responsibility. We use the most up-to-date technologies and techniques, including a 24/7 hour monitoring system of cryopreservation conditions, in order to guarantee the safest storage of your oocytes.