Freezing eggs and embryos with Dr. Schutt can help preserve fertility

Fertility preservation has come a long way, which means that patients can freeze and store eggs, sperm and embryos for future use. Dr. Amy Schutt loves that advances in reproductive medicine make it possible for her to help patients with freezing eggs and embryos.

“In the not-so-distant past, it wasn’t possible to freeze eggs. However, thanks to a technique called vitrification, we can flash-freeze eggs and embryos. Freezing reproductive materials in this way prevents the formation of potentially damaging ice crystals, making fertility preservation much more successful.”

A quick look at how freezing eggs and embryos works

Patients may decide to pursue fertility preservation because they are preparing to undergo treatments like chemotherapy or radiation. Other people may choose to preserve their eggs or embryos because they aren’t ready for parenthood quite yet. This is known as elective fertility preservation.

“Having frozen eggs or embryos in storage provides an insurance policy of sorts for patients who know they want to have a baby at some point in the future.”

When patients want to freeze their eggs or embryos with our Austin fertility specialist, they’ll go through a process that’s similar to IVF.

The patient will take medication to stimulate the ovaries, encouraging them to produce and mature multiple eggs. Dr. Schutt will then retrieve the mature eggs during a short outpatient procedure and send the eggs to the IVF lab. That’s where the magic of freezing eggs and embryos happens.

“Embryologists in the lab will freeze the eggs using vitrification. If a patient has opted for embryo freezing, the embryologists will first fertilize the eggs with sperm from the patient’s partner or their chosen donor. The lab team will then freeze the resulting embryos.”

After freezing eggs and embryos, patients can store them indefinitely. However, most patients decide to use their eggs or embryos within 10 years.

Dr. Schutt can help you explore your fertility preservation options

If you’re interested in learning more about fertility preservation, Dr. Schutt can help. This Austin fertility specialist can help you decide which option is right for you and then learn more about how the process will work in your situation. Contact us to schedule an appointment and get started.