Egg freezing has emerged as an excellent fertility preservation option for women who want to have children in the future. With its rising demand, the success rate of this procedure is also increasing. The success rate does vary from person to person, with common influencing factors including the patient’s age, overall health, quality of eggs, method of cryopreservation, etc. For more information regarding the egg freezing success rate in India consult Fertilityworld.
What is Egg Freezing & Its Success Rate in India?
There are several reasons why individuals may choose to get their eggs freezed. A common reason for egg freezing is chronic illnesses. Women with serious health conditions like cancer, often like to freeze their eggs. In addition, those scheduled for an ovarian surgery can also freeze their eggs. On the other hand, some women choose the egg freezing process for personal reasons, such as unpreparedness for bearing a child. Awareness around egg freezing has now given rise to the number of women choosing this procedure.
Let’s now come to the success rate of the egg freezing process; in helping achieve a pregnancy in India. Currently, the success rate of achieving a pregnancy through frozen eggs is 10% to 25% per cycle. This, however, is subject to vary for individuals.
The journey from retrieving and storing the eggs, to fertilisation and successful implantation is quite complex. According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), there’s a 90% and 97% success rate of egg freezing after vitrification and thawing. The total success percentage fertilisation is estimated to be 75%. Finally, the chances of the formed embryos to attach to the uterus is about 25%. This makes the rate of pregnancy to be between 10% to 15%.
As mentioned, the chances of a successful pregnancy from frozen eggs hinges on various factors, including the choice of Artificial Reproductive Technology (ART) procedure (IUI, IVF, etc) and sperm quality.
What Factors Affect the Success Rate of Egg Freezing?
Egg freezing success rate, i.e., the ability of the frozen eggs to help achieve a successful pregnancy in the future, relies on several factors. Understanding these factors is essential for making the right call and boosting the chances of successful outcomes. Listed below are the common factors that may impact the success of egg freezing:
- Age: The age at which a woman decides to undergo egg retrieval can significantly impact the success rate of the procedure. The chances of successful pregnancy from frozen eggs are higher for women who freeze their eggs at younger ages, i.e., in their 20s or early 30s. The number of healthy eggs decreases with age.
- Underlying Health Conditions: Underlying reproductive health conditions can impact the success rate of egg freezing. The doctors may run some tests to check if you’re suitable for the procedure.
- Quantity and Quality of Eggs: Women with higher ovarian reserve, i.e., the total number of healthy, immature eggs in their ovaries, are likely to have better chances of conceiving with their frozen eggs in the future.
- Egg Survival Rate During Thawing: Thawing can sometimes damage the retrieved eggs, thereby impacting the success rate. However, modern thawing techniques ensure minimal damage to the eggs.
- Method of Cryopreservation: Eggs can be frozen using both slow and fast (vitrification) techniques. The type of cryopreservation technique used can impact the survival rate of the frozen eggs. Vitrification, generally, has higher success rates.
- Choice of Fertility Clinic: The choice of fertility clinic can significantly impact the success rate of egg freezing. Choosing reputed clinics for egg freezing is essential, as they are associated with higher success rates. Before selecting a clinic, thoroughly check out its reviews and research its panel of fertility specialists.
Egg Freezing Success Rates By Age
Age is a significant factor impacting the success of the egg freezing process. As fertility is impacted by age, the later you freeze your eggs, the lower your chances of achieving a successful pregnancy with them. In their reproductive years, women produce thousands of immature eggs, which are stored in their ovaries. Several of these immature eggs undergo development, and while for some, the growth stops in between, the one egg that matures continues to develop and is finally released each cycle.
Ageing decreases the number of eggs for maturation, impacting fertility. In fact, when a woman turns 50, she has no healthy eggs remaining in her ovaries. The number of eggs is highest when a woman is in her 20s and early 30s. Therefore, this period is also called the most important period for women, and it’s best to preserve the eggs in these years.
As a woman advances towards menopause (when she is in her 40s), her ovarian function and egg production and maturation ability decline, leading to fewer chances of successful pregnancy. Women who freeze their eggs after 43 may not have any luck with pregnancy. Therefore, freezing eggs at this stage is less likely to produce any favourable outcomes.
| Age | Success Rate of Egg Freezing |
| <34 | 10-25% |
| 35- 40 | <10% |
| >40 | 2% |
Success Rates of Egg Freezing Across Age Groups
Is Embryo Freezing Success Rate Higher Than Egg Freezing?
With the increase in awareness around embryo freezing, several couples are moving to preserve their embryos instead of eggs. Freezing embryos involves fertilisation before vitrification, unlike egg freezing where fertilisation happens when the woman is ready to get pregnant. It’s a successful method of preserving fertility, especially for couples in committed relationships and for individuals (using sperm donor, frozen sperm) with a wish to conceive in the future. According to data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) in the United States, the live birth rate per transfer for frozen embryo transfer cycles was around 47% for women under 35 years old, 41% for women aged 35 to 37, 34% for women aged 38 to 40, and about 9% in women above 40 years of age.
Embryo freezing is considered to have higher success rates than egg freezing. However, it should still be noted that the success rate of both procedures may vary from person to person, depending on various factors.
FAQs
What is the age limit for egg freezing in India?
While there’s no age limit for freezing your eggs, getting it done between 25 and 35 years is ideal. The quality of eggs is the finest at this age, which increases the chances of a successful pregnancy in the future.
What is the success rate of egg freezing?
The success rate of egg freezing in India is 10% to 25%. This, however, is just an estimate, and the outcomes may vary from person to person.
Can egg freezing be unsuccessful?
Yes. In several cases, the eggs may get damaged during the thawing process, or the frozen eggs may not be able to result in a successful pregnancy. The success of egg freezing depends on various factors, especially the woman’s age and the quantity and quality of eggs. Women getting their eggs frozen at older ages may experience outcomes.
Is freezing eggs a good option?
Yes! Egg freezing is an excellent option for women who wish to get pregnant in the future. Women with chronic illnesses like cancer or personal reasons may choose to freeze their eggs in their 20s or early 30s and use them when they are ready to get pregnant.
Who is a good candidate for egg freezing?
Women in their 20s or early 30s with no underlying health conditions are considered to be the best candidates for egg freezing. In addition, women with cancer, significant academic or career aspirations, or those who are not in a committed relationship can choose to get their eggs frozen.
Kashmera Hazra is an engineer turned writer. She is an alumnus of the prestigious university Birla institute of technology, Mesra, and has several international journals and research papers in her name. She worked as a content writer with HealthKart and has over six years of experience in this field.
