How Long Can the Eggs Be Stored?

Egg cryopreservation gives women control over preserving their fertility. Once frozen, these eggs are stored until a later date, at which time they can be thawed and used for reproductive purposes. 

It’s recommended that women considering preserving their eggs do so no later than age 35-37 though the most significant decline in success with egg freezing occurs after the age of 40 years. Many women choose egg preservation because they know they want to start or expand their family someday in the future, but want the flexibility to do so when the time is right for them. 

Kutluk Oktay, MD, PhD, is a highly regarded, innovative force in fertility preservation. Here at Innovation Fertility Preservation and IVF, Dr. Oktay helps individuals and couples fulfil their dream of having a child using the latest advances in fertility medicine.

If you’re considering freezing your eggs, you may wonder how long they can be stored. Keep reading to learn more about egg cryopreservation. Dr. Oktay will discuss egg freezing in greater detail at your consultation. 

What does egg cryopreservation involve?

Egg cryopreservation has made great advancement over the past several years. The overall success of eggs surviving the freezing process has significantly improved. Once considered an experimental procedure by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, egg freezing is now a standard technique for fertility treatment. 

Egg freezing gives women a much greater degree of control over their family planning as it pertains to their own fertility. The process involves hormonally stimulating the ovaries to produce several eggs at one time before harvesting them and taking them to the lab for freezing.  

Who should consider egg freezing?

There are multiple reasons to consider egg freezing. Women who are not ready to become pregnant but want to become pregnant in the future may choose egg freezing. Other reasons women may choose egg freezing include the following:

• Genetic mutations requiring ovary removal 
• Planned chemotherapy or pelvic radiation that may impact fertility
• Surgery that may damage the ovaries
• At risk of premature ovarian failure
• Damage to the ovaries from ovarian disease

Additionally, couples may choose egg preservation as an alternative to embryo cryopreservation during an IVF cycle.

How long can eggs be stored?

Your eggs can be stored as long as you need them to be. There is no time limit on storage. Cryopreserved eggs have been successfully stored for decades and used to achieve pregnancy. 

The egg freezing process involves using special anti-freeze substances that prevent ice crystals from forming that could damage your eggs during freezing and thawing. Available research, including our own in using frozen eggs to conceive healthy babies, indicates that egg freezing does not increase the risks in pregnancy complications or birth defects. 

Age at retrieval is one of the major factors in the success rate of conceiving healthy babies with frozen eggs. The best results occur when eggs are retrieved before the age of 35. 

Extend fertility with egg freezing

Egg freezing gives women the option to extend fertility beyond what their biological clock normally would allow. The decision to freeze your eggs is one you make after deep consideration. The team at Innovation Fertility Preservation and IVF are here to answer all of your questions and discuss any concerns. To schedule your initial consultation, call our New York City office, or book your request online today. The future of your fertility is now in your hands.