Success Rates Newsletter 24-Hour Access for Patients Locations and Directions Referral HSG Services New Patient Forms Selecting a Physician Tubal Reversal Egg Donation Program Sperm Cryopreservation Minimally Invasive Surgery Recommended Links

The Reproductive Medicine Group is pleased to introduce our comprehensive oocyte (egg) cryopreservation research program. While cryopreservation of sperm and embryos has been available for many years, cryopreservation of oocytes has been more difficult. Although still considered an experimental procedure, newer techniques now allow successful thawing and fertilization of cryopreserved oocytes making it possible to offer this service to our patients.

Appropriate research candidates for oocyte cryopreservation include:

1. Women who will be receiving chemotherapy and/or pelvic radiotherapy for cancer treatment.
2. Women planning to have oopherectomy for benign gynecologic disorders, endometriosis or cancer prophylaxis.
3. Women concerned about age related decline in fertility (ages 35-40) who are unable to attempt conception presently but wish to retain their options for future conception.
4. Women with autoimmune disorders.

An oocyte cryopreservation cycle takes approximately four to six weeks to complete and requires the use of fertility medications which temporarily raise the blood estrogen level. Intravenous sedation is utilized to allow retrieval of the oocytes from the ovaries using a needle that is passed through the vaginal wall directly into the ovarian follicles. Women who are critically ill, require immediate chemotherapy or would be unable to undergo the above described procedure would be ineligible. In addition, women must be at least age 18, younger than 41 and should have a cycle day 3 FSH of less than 15 IU/ml.

Please contact your insurance company to determine if you have full or partial coverage for in vitro fertilization or oocyte cryopreservation.