Suppose you are a woman who does not want to have children immediately but wants to keep the option open for the later future, or you are undergoing treatment for a life-threatening disease like cancer. In that case, cryopreservation can be an excellent choice for you.

In this article, Dr. Himali Maniar one of the best Gynecologist in Bopal, talks about cryopreservation. 

What is Cryopreservation?

Cryopreservation is a technique of freezing and storing living cells and tissues at extremely low temperatures. It is the process of cooling and holding cells, tissues, or organs at extremely low temperatures to keep them alive. 

In liquid nitrogen, these cells are kept at a temperature of -196°C/-321°F. The preservation is in a frozen state.

Cryopreservation aids in the freezing and thawing of eggs, sperm, and embryos used in IVF or ICSI cycles. It completely stops all the cellular activity. The frozen sperms can also be used in IUI fertility treatments.

Dr. Himali Maniar works at one of the best IVF Hospital in India, Nisha Women’s Hospital. She has over nine years of experience in treating people with fertility issues.

Who needs it?

According to Dr. Maniar, the following are the reasons you may consider cryopreservation: 

If you have been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease like cancer, you can consider freezing your eggs if you are a female or your sperm if you are a male. 

The reason for this is that cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy can affect your fertility. This happens when the treatment used kills healthy cells along with the cancerous ones.

If you are a woman who does not want to have children right away but is planning on doing so in the future. This could be due to several reasons like education, career, etc.

You can freeze and store your eggs, use a treatment like IVF with your partner or a sperm donor, and get pregnant.

If you are getting older and want to have children, you can store your sperm and children in the future.

If you go under a surgery like a vasectomy, that can affect your fertility.

Types and Procedures

According to Dr. Maniar, the following are cryopreservation types and procedures.

Egg freezing or Oocyte Cryopreservation

• Egg freezing is called oocyte cryopreservation. It is a process that involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries and storing them unfertilized for future use.
• Your doctor will provide medication to assist your ovaries in generating several eggs rather than a single egg. 
• Blood tests will assess your response to the ovarian stimulation medicines.

• They are ready to be retrieved after around 10-14 days, and injection or drug is given to help the eggs develop.
• Egg retrieval is done under anesthesia at a clinic or hospital. To locate the follicles, an ultrasound probe is inserted into your vagina.
• Through your vagina, a needle is placed into the follicle. The egg is retrieved from the follicle using a suctioning device linked to the needle, and numerous eggs are extracted to maximize the chances of a healthy pregnancy.
• They are chilled to extremely low temperatures to preserve the eggs for future use.

Sperm Cryopreservation 

• Sperm cryopreservation, also known as sperm freezing, is a simple and time-tested method of conserving sperm for future use. By freezing, sperm may live eternally.
• The man supplies the sperm samples.
• Sperm count, shape, and motility are all measured in these samples.
• A lab worker then separates the samples into numerous vials and freezes them to safeguard the sperm.

Embryo Cryopreservation 

• The embryos are frozen using a procedure known as vitrification.
• A cryoprotective agent (C.P.A.) is applied to the embryos during vitrification. CPA is a solvent that protects cells against ice crystals.
• These embryos are immediately put in liquid nitrogen tanks at -3210F or -1960C. 

All these procedures are available at one of the best IVF hospitals in Bopal, Nisha Women’s Hospital.

Advantages

According to Dr. Maniar, the following are the advantages of cryopreservation:

• You may keep your eggs without concern for congenital abnormalities, which may worsen with age.
• The eggs can be stored for future IVF treatments.
• You can save your fertility for later use.
• You have the option of delaying your choice to become a parent.

Risks 

The main risks with cryopreservation are as follows:

• Damage to the eggs, sperms, or embryos during freezing.
• Eggs, sperms, or embryos are not viable for the process of freezing.
• Failure at pregnancy after the embryos are thawed and implanted.
• Multiple births (twins or triplets)

Cost of Cryopreservation in India

The cost of egg freezing in India costs around Rs. 15000 to Rs. 20000 on average. The later processes like IUI and IVF could be more expensive.

The cost of sperm freezing in India is around Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000.

Freezing your embryos costs between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 every month.

Conclusion:

The egg, sperm, or embryo is frozen so that it can be used whenever you choose. Cryopreservation can altogether remove your worry about becoming a parent later in life. It can also aid in the treatment of infertility.

If you need more information about cryopreservation, you can visit Nisha Women’s Hospital.