For those who are looking at different infertility clinics and the services that they provide, it might be helpful to look at specific items like cryopreservation to understand how these processes work and how they accommodate fertility outcomes.
What Is Cryopreservation?
Cryopreservation is the idea of freezing tissue or cells for later use. In the treatment of eggs and embryos, there are different kinds of cryopreservation. A traditional "slow freezing" has been replaced by a process called "vitrification" which is essentially a quick freezing for the embryos. In the cryopreservation process, certain substances called cryoprotectants are used to preserve the integrity of the embryo.
Using Cryopreservation
After a cryopreservation process has been completed, doctors can later thaw out the embryos for transfer using either a "natural cycle" or a "hormone replacement cycle" process. Quick-frozen embryos are seen to have some better rates of success according to recent medical studies.
Why Get Cryopreservation?
To understand the role of cryopreservation in fertility, it's helpful to know about the history of assistive fertility processes.
A general category of medical services called assisted reproductive technology, or ART, has been around for a while. These kinds of processes help women to have more control over their fertility and how they reproduce. ART processes include the now common in vitro fertilization (IVF) process where the fertilization of an embryo can be done differently from the traditional process.
All kinds of ART and related treatments can help increase the real chances of conception for a couple, or allow a woman to pursue fertility goals differently.
Women who want to get cryopreservation may be affected by certain kinds of reproductive cancers, including ovarian cancer. Doctors talk a lot about the role of cryopreservation in oncology. However, there are other situations where individuals might also elect to have eggs or embryos frozen. In many cases, the woman wants to reserve an egg supply until she is ready to start a family. In these kinds of situations, cryopreservation can be an effective way to warehouse eggs until they are needed. The specific cryopreservation of eggs is also called oocyte freezing.
Talking to infertility clinics about cryopreservation and other services is one way to understand what that local medical facilities have to offer. Patients should choose a specific OB-GYN or other qualified professional and consult in depth about all of the available options for fertility assistance, as well as the risks and benefits of each kind of treatment. Providing a medical history and other details will also help the doctors to figure out the best fertility strategy for a specific patient. Working together with qualified medical professionals, women and couples can more effectively pursue fertility goals using a combination of new technologies and carefully researched methods for increasing chances of conception and safeguarding the health of a fetus the entire way through the pregnancy.
