What You Should Know About Ovarian Tissue Freezing

A woman’s ability to reproduce in the future may be compromised for medical reasons. Ovarian tissue freezing is growing in popularity as a fertility preservation method, particularly for women who are about to undergo cancer treatment. There are a number of advantages to this manner of fertility preservation, making it ideal for many women. Ovaries are one of the main reproductive organs in a woman’s body. They are responsible for ovulation and also house all of her eggs. Unlike in men where sperm production is constant, women are born with all of the egg she will ever have. These eggs are stored in the outer layer of the ovaries until they are matured and ovulated.

Ovarian tissue freezing lets a woman freeze hundreds – if not thousands – of her eggs for future use in family planning. The ovarian tissue freezing procedure is performed by laparoscopy to remove tissue from the outer membrane of a woman’s ovary. Later, this ovarian tissue is re-implanted and regains its function by producing eggs naturally. As a new and cutting-edge method offered by New Hope Fertility Center’s Division of Fertility Preservation – ovarian tissue freezing is growing in popularity for women.

About Ovarian Tissue Freezing

Ovarian tissue freezing can be performed on very short notice – unlike egg and embryo freezing alternatives. There are many females who should consider ovarian tissue freezing.

• Female children who do not have fully developed ovaries
• Female children or teenage girls who have been diagnosed with cancer
• Women in their prime reproductive years who have been diagnosed with cancer
• Women wanting to postpone motherhood past their prime reproductive years
• Women wanting to donate their ovarian tissue to help women who are unable to produce good eggs

The National Institutes of Health reported that [h]uman ovarian tissue transplantation has resulted in the birth of over 70 children worldwide. Preserving female fertility through ovarian tissue freezing is trending today because it is a proven safe and successful procedure. According to a 2015 study published in the journal of Human Reproduction, 10 out of 32 women facing chemotherapy were able to conceive naturally after undergoing ovarian tissue freezing before cancer treatment.

How A Woman’s Natural Fertility Is Restored

The outer membrane of an ovary is where a woman’s eggs are located. Through laparoscopy, a thin piece of the outer membrane of a woman’s ovarian tissue is removed. This ovarian tissue is cryopreserved for later transplant to the woman’s other ovary – the non-preserved ovary.

At some determined time in her future, a woman’s fertility can be readily restored and she can naturally have a baby.

• The woman’s frozen ovarian tissue is retrieved from cryopreservation and thawed
• The ovarian tissue is transplanted to the patient’s ovary through simple stitching in an outpatient procedure involving minimal pain
• The ovarian tissue comes to life and begins to function normally – as though it were never removed
• The woman can then conceive naturally without the need for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

A Woman’s Conception Options Post-Ovarian Tissue Transplant

To help along the natural conception of a baby for women who have undergone an ovarian tissue transplant, New Hope Fertility Center offers:

• Medicated Timed Intercourse
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Medicated Timed Intercourse

A variation of timed intercourse is Medicated Timed Intercourse. Typically, a woman only produces one healthy egg per monthly cycle. With Medicated Timed Intercourse, you will be prescribed oral fertility medications – Clomid or Femara – to stimulate your ovaries into producing multiple eggs during one monthly cycle. Because you are producing multiple eggs, your chances of conception increase during your ovulation window during a timed intercourse cycle. A word of caution: There is a high risk of conceiving a multiple pregnancy through Medicate Time Intercourse.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Timed intercourse is often used in conjunction with Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). IUI is the generally the same treatment protocol followed through medicated timed intercourse. After an injectable ovulation trigger medication – hCG – has been self-administered, a concentrated amount of sperm is inserted into the woman’s uterus via her cervix in a simple office procedure similar to a Pap smear.

World Renowned Ovarian Tissue Freezing Expert – Dr. John Zhang

Ovarian tissue freezing is a state-of-the-art fertility preservation technique. It is important to work with a fertility care team having the experience required to design a customized fertility preservation treatment plan meeting your personal needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang – one of the world renowned ovarian tissue freezing experts at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.