Egg Freezing Process

00:00:04.333 --> 00:00:09.800 Fertility preservation generally refers to the process of obtaining eggs 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:14.233 or embryos in a way where they can be frozen 00:00:14.300 --> 00:00:16.840 so that they can be used in the future. 00:00:17.267 --> 00:00:21.320 The reason why this is an important thing to do is as time goes on, 00:00:21.680 --> 00:00:28.100 the egg supply, which is finite, diminishes in quite quality and quantity. 00:00:28.167 --> 00:00:31.700 Fertility preservation can include two main forms. 00:00:31.767 --> 00:00:35.720 One is freezing eggs and one is freezing embryos. 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:38.933 An embryo is an egg that has been fertilized with sperm, 00:00:39.133 --> 00:00:41.900 and an egg is not fertilized. 00:00:42.300 --> 00:00:44.000 Preserving embryos 00:00:44.067 --> 00:00:47.233 provides a better chance of having a baby in the future. 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:53.100 When we're freezing an egg, that egg will also have a potential 00:00:53.168 --> 00:00:56.233 for creating a genetically viable embryo 00:00:56.400 --> 00:00:59.100 or a not a genetically viable embryo. 00:00:59.433 --> 00:01:03.100 We have no way of knowing that when we just have a frozen egg. 00:01:03.167 --> 00:01:07.567 The types of patients who are considering fertility preservation are usually young, 00:01:07.633 --> 00:01:13.979 healthy women somewhere between their late 20s and early 40s 00:01:14.367 --> 00:01:17.900 who want to preserve their ability to have a family in the future, 00:01:18.367 --> 00:01:21.333 but are not ready to have a family at this time. 00:01:21.720 --> 00:01:25.300 Success rates with egg freezing is tricky 00:01:25.567 --> 00:01:27.640 because it's based on a number of factors. 00:01:27.720 --> 00:01:31.520 It's based on the age of the egg, it's based on the number of the eggs. 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:34.040 It's based on a patient's personal history. 00:01:34.160 --> 00:01:37.760 It's going to be based on the future sperm source that's going to be used. 00:01:37.880 --> 00:01:40.960 It's going to be based on maybe how long the eggs were frozen for, 00:01:41.033 --> 00:01:42.640 and a lot of those things are unknown. 00:01:42.800 --> 00:01:44.320 It makes it hard to predict. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:48.280 We have dedicated rooms where tanks are stored. 00:01:48.440 --> 00:01:50.640 They're checked on, on a regular basis. 00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:53.400 They're alarmed with remote sensors. 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:58.200 They are locked and secured with cameras and security alarms. 00:01:58.360 --> 00:02:04.600 We have a diesel generator on our roof dedicated purely to the supply 00:02:04.667 --> 00:02:06.560 of power to our laboratory. 00:02:07.067 --> 00:02:11.500 We do everything that is humanly possible to protect 00:02:11.633 --> 00:02:16.300 and preserve these very precious biological specimens 00:02:16.433 --> 00:02:19.300 that people have entrusted us to take care of.