Cryoconservation of oocytes to be used in an IVF cycle was not so widely used thirteen years ago as it’s used now. However, they did freeze eggs back then. For example, when in 2001 a young Japanese girl was diagnosed with lymphoma (a tumor developed from lymphocytes, i.e. immune system cells), the doctors told her parents that radio- and chemotherapy aggravated fertility. Due to this fact they decided to have their daughter’s eggs cryoconserved before the treatment started.
The treatment was successful. Last year the young lady, who had got married, turned to a fertility clinic for IVF treatment. To guarantee success of IVF procedure, taking into account the “age” of the eggs, was just impossible. Notwithstanding, fertility specialists achieved pregnancy. The Japanese lady delivered of a baby weighing over 3 kg.
Now eggs vitrification is used more and more now, as the decision to have their eggs frozen is taken by women not for medical reasons, but for their desire to postpone pregnancy.
