For whom is egg freezing suitable?
- For women aged 25 – 35 who plan to have a family in the future but current circumstances do not allow them to do so. Egg freezing is also possible after the age of 35, but the earlier the better.
- For women undergoing invasive treatments, for example chemotherapy, that adversely affects egg quality.
- For women who have to undergo removal of their ovaries or are suffering from other diseases affecting the reproductive system.
The benefits of egg freezing:
Fertility preservation
By freezing your eggs, you increase your chances of getting pregnant in the future.
Higher chances of giving birth to a healthy baby
The earlier retrieved eggs (especially up to the age of 35), the higher the chance the fertilised egg will develop to a healthy embryo.
Peace of mind
Egg freezing does not provide a 100 % guarantee of future smooth conception. Still, it significantly increases the chances.
Preventive step before an invasive treatment
Egg freezing allows you to get ready for possible future assisted reproduction treatment in case an invasive treatment or an operation limits your chances for a natural conception.
How does social freezing work?
You can undergo egg freezing in as little as one month. A coordinator and a doctor will guide you through the process. For more information about social freezing, please see our FAQ section.
Consultation with a doctor
Before
Consultation with a doctor
After filling in the online form, a personal coordinator who speaks your language will reach out to you. She will answer your questions and arrange an initial consultation with the doctor, which can take place online or in person at our clinic. During the consultation, the doctor will check the function of your ovaries using ultrasound and draw blood to check your anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. This reliably shows how many eggs you have left and your chances of getting pregnant naturally.
If you arrange an online consultation, your coordinator will send you a list of the necessary tests you must undergo in your country. Based on a thorough medical history and the results of the tests, the doctor will design a personalised stimulation protocol.
Hormonal stimulation
Day 1 – 3
Hormonal stimulation
The aim of hormonal stimulation is to mature more eggs than is normal in a natural cycle. Stimulation begins on the first day of your period, which is when you begin self-administering the medication.
Around the 8th day of your cycle, you will have an ultrasound scan, either at your personal doctor’s office or at our clinic, to determine the number of viable eggs and when they will be retrieved.
Egg retrieval (oocyte pick-up, OPU)
Day 10 – 15
Egg retrieval (oocyte pick-up, OPU)
Egg retrieval is a short, 15-minutes-long, procedure that takes place under general anaesthesia at our clinic in Prague. After the procedure, you will rest for two hours in the recovery room and then you can go home with your escort as you are not allowed to drive after the anaesthesia. The next day you can return to your normal routine.
Freezing of eggs
On the day of retrieval
Freezing of eggs
The retrieved eggs go immediately after collection to our modern laboratory, where embryologists check, clean and prepare them for the process of vitrification - quick freezing. This takes place on the same day.
Egg preservation
For years
Egg preservation
We will store your eggs in our cryobank where they will be waiting for you until you decide to get pregnant. Ranging from a timescale from one to ten or more years, you can repeatedly and remotely extend the length of egg storage.
The benefits of egg freezing at PFC:
Individual approach
You will be looked after by one coordinator and one doctor, who will support you throughout the process of preventive fertility preservation.
Safety first
We will provide you with comprehensive medical care and a personally tailored process of hormonal stimulation.
State-of-the-art laboratory
Our laboratory, staffed with experienced embryologists, handles egg freezing using state-of-the-art technology.
No waiting time
You can go through the whole process in as little as one month thanks to short waiting times.
Head doctor says:
We can’t stop time by freezing eggs. I see this method, however, as an important way to gain peace of mind when we are dealing with other priorities and challenges in life, but we don’t want to give up on the chance to have a family.
What is the appropriate age for freezing eggs?
Unfortunately, time plays a much more significant role in egg quality than it does in sperm quality, so preventive cryopreservation of reproductive cells is particularly relevant to women. Biologically, the ideal age for pregnancy is between 20 and 30 years of age, but with the increasing demands of society and individual life circumstances, this is often not met.
According to studies, the quality of eggs begins to decline each month after the age of 35, cumulatively by up to 15% per year. After the age of 40, only 20% of women get pregnant without complications. Freezing eggs is an effective way to preserve them in a reproductively viable condition for potential future fertilisation. However, in order for the method to be successful, healthy and young eggs need to be frozen — the ideal age is under 30, and although eggs can be retrieved at almost any age, we recommend freezing by 35 years old at the latest. This is because freezing eggs later reduces the chances of the fertilised egg developing into a healthy embryo. If you are considering fertility preservation, don’t delay and contact us today.
How long do frozen eggs last?
Storage at a very low temperature does not affect the quality of the eggs. When the time is right for you to start a family with frozen eggs, we will perform assisted reproduction using the latest IVF methods and first-class laboratory procedures.
Behind every success is an expert team
An expert team including an experienced doctor, embryologist and a personal IVF Coordinator has your health as its first priority and works to ensure the best possible results.
