Egg freezing is a way for women to preserve their fertility.

They may do so for social reasons – because they are focusing on their career or life experiences – or for medical reasons because of an underlying medical problem such as cancer or a history of premature ovarian failure.

Generally though those undertaking egg freezing for social reasons will be healthy, younger women.

The process of egg freezing is relatively simple, although there is a need for some counselling and expert help – not just from clinicians but also embryologists and laboratory staff who have expertise in both freezing and thawing of eggs.

It is available at most IVF clinics.

The first step in the egg freezing process is the initial consultation, which may be either online or in person, depending on the clinic. At NOW-fertility all consultations are done virtually and will include a consultant, a fertility nurse and a fertility care coordinator.

The initial consultation usually takes around 1 hour and will start with an explanation of what egg freezing entails. The consultant will then review the medical history and any tests already undertaken. If no tests have yet been done, these will be arranged. The tests will be in the form of an ultrasound scan and also a blood test to measure AMH levels, to gain an indication of ovarian reserve. NOW-fertility can arrange for these tests to be done in 10 different countries.

Once the test results are available, a follow-up appointment will be arranged to discuss the individualised protocol for ovarian stimulation, based on the test results.

Ovarian stimulation will be done by hormone medication which is injected daily for around 12 – 13 days. Whereas women usually only release 1 egg per month, when the ovaries are stimulated it encourages the production of multiple follicles during the stimulation period.

During this time there are normally 3 ultrasound scans to monitor the response to the stimulation. Depending on the results of the scans, the consultant will make the decision whether to continue on the same dose of medication or to change it. This is known as personalising the protocol and is done to optimise the chances of success.

The follicles are said to have reached the optimum stage of development when they are approximately 17/18/19mm in size. This is the point when the patient needs to actually attend the IVF clinic, to undergo egg collection. The collection is done under sedation and takes around 10 – 15 minutes. All the eggs collected which are suitable for freezing are taken to the laboratory.

Over the last decade freezing techniques have improved significantly and the method used now is known as ‘vitrification’, or ‘fast freezing’. Using this method preserves the integrity of the egg cells.

Ideally at least 10 -12 eggs should be available for freezing to increase the chances of a successful live birth in the future. If less than this number are retrieved it may be recommended to undergo a further cycle or cycles in order to obtain sufficient eggs.

Whilst age per se is not a limiting factor for egg freezing, women with a low ovarian reserve may require multiple cycles of stimulation and egg collection to get the optimum number of eggs. This is more likely to be the case in women over the age of 37.

Once eggs are frozen, they can be stored until the patient decides to use them. She will pay an annual storage fee to the clinic. In most countries there is no limit as to how long frozen eggs can be kept for.

The survival rate for eggs thawed after vitrification is around 80%. The fertilisation rate of thawed frozen eggs is around 70%, which is similar to the rate with fresh eggs. Most eggs which have previously been frozen will be used in ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) cycles.

There is no difference in embryos created by good quality frozen eggs and those created using fresh eggs and the outcome data is comparable.

Overall the benefits of egg freezing are that women have the chance to create embryos in the future with their own genetic material, and it is a relatively straightforward process with lengthy storage periods allowed in most countries.

There are however always some risks, the main one being ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Patients may also experience some bleeding/spotting after the procedure but there are no significant risks to health involved.

The cost of egg freezing varies from country to country. With NOW-fertility, the cost in the UAE is between AED18000 – AED20000. In Europe the cost is between €3500 - €4000 and in the UK around £3000 – 33500. The cost of medication varies according to ovarian reserve and the level of stimulation but is usually around €1000 - €1500.

NOW-fertility patients receive clinical and emotional support throughout from their consultant and fertility nurse, and there are care coordinators, counsellors and fertility coaches always available to help.

All NOW-fertility partner clinics offer egg freezing but the eligibility legislation varies in different countries – for example single women may have social egg freezing in UAE, Greece, Spain, Poland, UK or Italy, but in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey it is only permitted for married women. The NOW-fertility consultant will therefore take into account the patient’s circumstances and marital status when recommending the right partner clinic for egg freezing.