OOCYTE CRYO-PRESERVATION

Egg freezing process is called ‘cryopreservation’. In this method, the eggs are harvested from the ovaries of a woman and are frozen in an un-fertilized state for later use in liquid nitrogen. This is one of the methods that are currently available for preserving the reproductive potential for women. Our experience with Oocyte Vitrification at Abirami Fertility Hospital has been very encouraging and we have had several successes and healthy live births after ICSI of the vitrified oocytes.

A woman might consider egg freezing if cancer has been detected and she has to undergo cancer treatment.

SPERM CRYO-PRESERVATION

The process of freezing sperm for later use is called sperm cryopreservation. At Abirami Fertility Hospital, there are 2 separate semen collection rooms for a male to provide samples, that are connected to the andrology lab and IUI room for rapid delivery of samples. The collected semen may also be frozen and stored in multiple vials for future use.

We have short term and long term plans for 6 months and 24 months respectively to cryopreserve sperms for later use.

EMBRYO CRYO-PRESERVATION

Good quality embryos and blastocysts most suitable for transfer are frozen by a process called Vitrification and stored in devices called Cryotops which are plunged into liquid nitrogen at -196°C and maintained until further use. The process of vitrification is often monitored by two embryologists to ensure proper witnessing is done and prevent any mishaps of embryo mix-up by assigning specific colour of cryotop to a specific patient comprising their details such as name, computer generated hospital ID/MR No. and date of freezing which is then matched to the color coded specific location in the cryotank..

FERTILITY PRESERVATION

Fertility preservation aides in procreating a person’s biological child by preserving their eggs and sperms. Mature oocytes and semen with a good count of sperms maybe kept frozen for years until one is ready to have children of their own. Viable oocytes are frozen in Cryotops and sperms are frozen in cryo-vials comprising the individual’s name and medical ID. The gametes are plunged into liquid nitrogen and stored at -196°C and maintained until further use. This procedure can be done irrespective of the presence of a partner and is extremely helpful for those undergoing chemotherapy to help preserve their fertility.