Egg freezing
Prolong your fertility by freezing your eggs
Egg freezing when you are younger may offer a better chance of a successful pregnancy in the future
About
At the Lister Fertility Clinic, we offer egg freezing to give women the option of freezing their eggs when younger. The main benefit of freezing your eggs is that it 'locks in' the quality of eggs at the age they were frozen so they may be used at a later stage.
Need to know
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What happens icon plus
You may need to have one or more stimulation cycles to produce eggs. We recommend you aim to have at least 20 eggs in storage. You may need to have hormone injections to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple follicles (each follicle potentially containing an egg), for a couple of weeks. You'll have several scans and blood tests to monitor the number and size of your follicles. This helps us to work out when to collect your eggs. You will be given a 'trigger injection' to mature the eggs before we collect them. The eggs will be collected using a minor vaginal procedure performed under general anaesthetic (so you'll be asleep). -
How to prepare icon plus
Your consultant will explain the procedure to you and if there are any risks and side effects involved. To maximise the chances of conception, you may need to have several stimulation cycles. We offer egg freezing packages for those considering more than one stimulation cycle. As you're having general anaesthetic, your consultant will let you know how long you should avoid eating and drinking for. -
Afterwards icon plus
After your eggs are collected, the cells around them are stripped away to identify which eggs are mature. These mature eggs are then cryopreserved (frozen) using a process called vitrification. Legally, eggs can be stored for any period up to 10 years. You will be sent an annual letter confirming that you want to continue to keep them stored. If you or your partner are prematurely infertile or likely to become prematurely infertile, you may be able to store eggs for longer — up to 55 years — if a medical practitioner certifies this as true. When needed, your eggs can be thawed and fertilised using micromanipulation techniques (ICSI).
Celebrating 30 years of The Lister Fertility Clinic
To celebrate The Lister Fertility Clinic turning 30, Dr James Nicopoullos, Dr Marie Wren and Dr Yau Thum talk about the history of the clinic and how they continue to use the latest techniques in fertility treatment. We also meet three former patients of the clinic and hear their stories.
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This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.