Egg (Oocyte) Freezing

Until recently, the regulations regarding assisted reproductive technologies in our country did not allow for egg freezing. However, the revised regulations legally permit egg freezing under specific conditions, such as when a cancer diagnosis is made, requiring the individual to undergo radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy that could be harmful to reproductive cells, or when a serious surgical operation that could lead to the loss of reproductive functions is to be performed, or in cases of single women diagnosed with low ovarian reserve who do not have immediate marriage plans.

• Those who need to start treatments that could harm egg cells, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
• Patients who will undergo surgeries that could lead to the loss of reproductive functions (such as the removal of ovaries).
• Women with a family history of early menopause or those with low ovarian reserve who have not yet experienced pregnancy.
• Career-oriented women who wish to postpone motherhood until after their 30s.

To perform egg freezing, it is necessary to stimulate the ovaries with hormones in women. Treatment begins on the 2nd or 3rd day of the menstrual cycle and lasts approximately 12 to 15 days. The collected eggs are frozen using a special method called vitrification in the laboratory and preserved for future use.

Follow-up Process: The patient, who applies to our center before treatment, returns on the 2nd day of her menstrual cycle, and the treatment process begins. During this process, ovarian stimulating hormone medications are administered to ensure the patient produces more eggs than usual. The patient visits our center 3 to 5 times during the follow-up process. At each visit, an examination is conducted, hormone levels are checked, and medication dosages are adjusted based on these findings.

Egg Collection Procedure: When the individual follicle growth reaches the desired level, the egg collection procedure is performed under ultrasound guidance with a needle inserted through the vagina. This procedure is painless and is done under general anesthesia, lasting approximately 15 minutes. The patient can be discharged within 2 to 3 hours and can continue with her daily life.

Egg Freezing Procedure: The eggs are frozen using the vitrification technique without the formation of ice crystals. The frozen eggs are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at -196 degrees Celsius.

IVF Process: When pregnancy is desired, the patient's eggs are thawed, and the IVF process begins.

Individuals who undergo egg freezing must provide written consent to the relevant institution every year regarding the storage or disposal of their eggs.

To perform egg freezing effectively and safely, the center providing this service must have an experienced embryology laboratory with strong technological infrastructure.

The rapid freezing technique known as vitrification provides successful results that can be considered revolutionary in egg freezing. For the vitrification technique to be successful, proper application is very important. In addition to quick and accurate freezing, quick and accurate thawing is also crucial. Since women diagnosed with low ovarian reserve or those at risk of early menopause already have a limited number and quality of eggs, the loss during or after the freezing process must be kept to the lowest possible level.

Compared to its advantages and the benefits it brings to individuals, the process of freezing embryos or eggs is not actually a costly application. However, since special kits and tanks are necessary for freezing and preserving them, a one-time freezing fee is charged at the centers providing the service. Additionally, since very low-temperature environments are required to store the eggs safely for a long time without damage, continuous external liquid nitrogen supplementation is necessary to maintain this environment, which incurs an annual cost. Centers charge an annual maintenance fee for this cost.