Egg Freezing at London’s Leading IVF & Fertility Clinic

Egg freezing or oocyte cryopreservation is a method of fertility preservation. As per data published by UK’s fertility regulator The HFEA in Sept 2018, egg freezing cycles are on the rise and currently make up around 1.5% of all fertility treatment cycles carried out across the UK with majority of treatments taking place in London.

The 1st birth from frozen eggs using vitrification was documented in 1999. This was followed by the HFEA permitting egg freezing treatment in the UK from 2000.

How are the frozen eggs used?

When you are ready to have a baby, the eggs will be defrosted by a process called egg thawing. The freezing process hardens the layer surrounding the eggs and hence it is recommended to inject the sperm into the eggs using a process called intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI. The fertilised egg is then observed in the laboratory until the embryo is transferred into the uterine cavity.

"91% of women using frozen eggs in a thaw treatment cycle were registered with a male partner at the time of egg thawing" HFEA.

There are 2 main reasons why women in the UK freeze their eggs:

• Social – to delay their child bearing whilst they find the right partner (46% of those who freeze their eggs are single), to pursue their career or because they are not ready to have children.
• Medical – they are having treatment for cancer which is likely to affect their fertility or they have other medical problems like severe endometriosis.

1. Your age at the time of starting treatment

As per the HFEA data, most women who froze their eggs in 2016 were over 35. The commonest age to freeze eggs was 38. However, the most common age women came back for fertility treatment to use their cryopreserved eggs was 40.

“There are many women freezing eggs into their 40s and even 50s. Given the scientific consensus around age-related fertility decline, it is not clear why patients of this age are freezing eggs and we would caution against this being a sensible option for this group of women.” HFEA

When should women be freezing their eggs?

‘Standard’ fresh IVF does not offer a solution to age-related fertility decline because it cannot reverse the egg degeneration that comes with getting older’. This is why the age a woman is when she freezes her eggs is so important. HFEA

In cases over the age of 35, we know there is a steep decline in fertility and this has an impact on both natural conception and IVF success rates. HFEA

The likelihood of a successful outcome following egg freezing is based on the age at the time of freezing one’s eggs. Hence, freezing eggs prior to early 30s would be the ideal time to have the best chance of a successful outcome in future. However, young women are likely to get pregnant spontaneously and are hence, are less likely to use their frozen eggs.

When one freezes later in life, the process may be more invasive and expensive due to the natural decline in fertility as more cycles may be needed to collect the desired number of eggs. The chances of treatment being successful reduces but one is more likely to use the frozen eggs.

2. Cost of treatment – how will you fund your treatment

3. Risks associated with the treatment – it is generally a safe treatment

4. Chances of success – The birth rate from frozen own eggs is 18% per treatment cycle

5. Risk of not using the frozen eggs - There is a chance that one may conceive spontaneously and hence, may not use the frozen eggs in the future

6. Risk to baby and mother - Currently 2000 babies worldwide have been born from cryopreserved eggs but long-term studies on safety for children born from this process are not yet available. Evidence to date, shows no differences between the use of vitrified or fresh eggs in the rates of obstetrical problems in pregnancy. There are no increased risks of chromosomal anomalies or significant physical or developmental deficits in the babies born.

“Egg freezing is emerging as a viable clinical technique to preserve women’s fertility, providing the eggs are frozen at a clinically optimum age, and the patient is aware of the risks and possibility of becoming pregnant naturally. The evidence suggests that if eggs are frozen below the age of 35, the chances of success using these frozen eggs is higher than the natural conception rate as the woman gets older.

The results of our analysis are supported by international evidence which suggests egg freezing is a successful and cost-effective method of preserving fertility.” HFEA

Egg collection is a relatively non-invasive procedure and carries minimal risks. But as with any medical procedure, there may be side effects, which are typically minor and temporary. 

Possible side effects or risks from the medication can include:

• Hormonal fluctuations leading to bloating 
• Bruising, soreness or redness in the injection site

Post-procedure side effects from the egg collection can include:

• Grogginess (which should abate within 24 hours)
• Abdominal cramping or vaginal soreness
• Vaginal bleeding - this settles in a few days
• A slight risk of infection — antibiotics are typically given during the procedure to minimise this risk
• Irregular periods (which should resolve on their own within a few cycles)

More serious risks of the egg collection procedure are extremely low. 

• The risk of injury to internal organs such as the bladder, blood vessels and bowel is very low. Usually, no further action is needed as it is only a needle stick injury.
• Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is a complication that sometimes affects young women with very active ovaries. This condition is characterised by swollen ovaries and fluid retention in the abdomen leading to nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In rare cases, this requires bed rest and monitoring, and in the most severe cases, treatment requires hospitalisation. 

It is possible to freeze eggs on the NHS if you need to undergo medical treatment that will affect your fertility, for example, chemotherapy or radiation treatment. 

If you would like to freeze your eggs for social reasons (because you want to delay having a child for your own reasons), doing the egg-freezing treatment on the NHS is not possible. 

For this reason, 90% of cycles in the UK are self-funded.

Please refer to our Treatment Prices section for further information.