Egg Freezing (Oocyte Cryopreservation)

RMA of New York offers egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, as a fertility preservation treatment option for women interested in preserving current unfertilized eggs in order to attempt pregnancy in the future.

Female Fertility

A woman is born with her full complement of eggs. Female fertility peaks in the early to mid-20s and declines steadily until around age 35, when it begins to decline more rapidly. Risks of birth defects from chromosomal abnormalities also increase with the age of a mother's eggs. Egg freezing allows a woman to freeze current eggs in order to preserve future fertility.

The Egg Freezing Process

The egg freezing process involves using standard protocols to stimulate egg production and retrieve eggs. The eggs are then cryopreserved and stored in liquid nitrogen at low temperatures where there is no cellular activity and therefore are not impacted by length of storage.

Egg freezing may be an option for women:

• Who anticipate having children after the age of 35
• Who are about to go under medical therapies, such as chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer, which can put future reproductive abilities at risk
• Who have a family history of endometriosis, premature ovarian failure, or early menopause

Oocyte cryopreservation is currently considered experimental by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). This is due to the relative newness of the cryopreservation and thaw technology for oocytes and the limited amount of data available to date. As of 2011, over 1,000 babies have been born worldwide as a result of egg freezing.

To inquire about RMA of New York's egg freezing services, please ask for the egg freezing coordinator at 212-756-5777 or email info@rmany.com.