Egg Freezing
Preserve mature eggs today so future options stay open.
The treatment cycle is typically carried out over around 2 weeks. Ovaries are stimulated with hormonal injections to boost egg production and maturity.
Eggs are retrieved for screening, and mature eggs are preserved through vitrification.
Overview
A cycle takes around two weeks. Ovaries are stimulated with hormonal injections to boost egg production and maturity, monitored by blood tests and transvaginal ultrasound. Once ovaries are ready, eggs are retrieved in an outpatient procedure.
Mature eggs are placed in a special cryoprotectant solution that draws water out and protects the cells. They are then frozen — either by slow cooling or vitrification (fast freezing) — and stored in liquid nitrogen tanks.
When you're ready to use the eggs, frozen eggs are thawed and fertilised with sperm. Embryos develop and divide in culture until ready for genetic testing and/or transfer. Screening and biopsy may check for chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders.
Embryo transfer is a short procedure where an embryo is placed into the uterine cavity via a catheter, similar to a pap smear. The body needs to be prepared for implantation, which may take around six weeks.
Reference process and timeline
Many factors affect timing. This reference timeline covers a typical cycle up to vitrification.