Fertility preservation is one of the greatest medical advances in assisted reproduction treatments, because it gives women more freedom to choose the best time for them to start a family.
There are numerous factors that may force women to put off having children. Lack of a partner, career considerations and economic matters are common issues that can mean that the best reproductive age may not mean that the right time to start a family.
Reproductive medicine allows today’s women to preserve their fertility by vitrifying (freezing) their eggs when they are young, guaranteeing a supply of good quality eggs to use when their time is right to have a baby.
The success of this fertility treatment depends on harvesting eggs before the woman is 35, when good quality eggs are still available. This means that the woman is more likely to succeed in getting pregnant from implantation. Fertility specialists also recommend regular check-ups to ensure that the reproductive system is functioning normally.
Egg freezing or oocyte cryopreservation is the procedure when the oocytes of a woman are retrieved, cryopreserved and stored for a potential future pregnancy via IVF.
Fertility preservation treatment is also a potential reproduction solution for patients who have to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy or who must take medication with a significant impact on fertility or ovarian reserve. Fertility preservation freezes the best eggs so that when the patient recovers from the illness, she can conceive a baby with her own eggs.
Initially in patients who are going to have a therapy or medication treatment that will affect their fertility.
Egg freezing is a life-changing option for many women who want to focus on their studies, their carrier or just are not ready to start their family and want to postpone it.
Ideally egg freezing should be done “as soon as possible” until the age of 38. This does not mean that older women can’t freeze their eggs. It only means that the quantity and quality of the eggs will be lower.
Egg freezing process consists of 2 steps: Ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval.
Fertility preservation process starts with ovarian stimulation, which is carried out according to personalized protocols. The purpose is to obtain a sufficient number of eggs, which increases the possibilities of becoming pregnant.
Ultrasound examinations and blood tests are performed during this 8-12 day period to check that the patient is responding to the drugs prescribed and that the follicles are growing steadily and will reach the optimal size to guarantee puncture and, therefore, reproductive success.
Step 2: Egg retrieval and vitrification
The cost of egg freezing and storage in Greece is affordable and compared to other countries is lower. Please contact us for further information about your egg freezing. We will be more than happy to help you!
Egg freezing- or egg cryopreservation- is the most common method of preserving a woman’s fertility. The method can “freeze” the time and take away a large percentage of a woman’s anxiety about her age and fertility. You have made your appointment with the fertility expert and you have decided to proceed with the treatment. Let’s see practically what are the 5+1 steps that you need to follow until the day of the egg retrieval.
1. After your first appointment, your doctor may recommend some tests (blood test, AMH, etc.). Before you start your personalized protocol for ovarian stimulation, you should have completed all the necessary tests.
2.Before starting your treatment, based on your personal plan that the fertility expert has designed for you, you should make sure you have all the necessary medicines at home. For any questions about the injectable medicines, you can contact one of our team’s IVF coordinators.
3. A balanced diet, good and enough sleep along with good psychology can become your allies towards your goal.
4. Treatment and vaccination: According to the National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction: "COVID-19 vaccination should be given 7 days after the egg retrieval so that the mild symptoms that may follow vaccination do not lead to possible complications of the treatment".
5. If you have any questions or concerns about the treatment, make a list of them. Ask the fertility expert, the midwife, the embryologist and the anesthesiologist so that they can answer everything simply, in detail and clearly. In this way you will get rid of all the unnecessary stress.
6. On the day of the egg retrieval, you must have provided all the necessary examinations (e.g. cardiogram) and all the necessary documents (e.g. legal documents, consent) that will be requested to complete the procedure.
There was no reason to delay any longer.
-Hello! I would like to book an online appointment for egg freezing. I do not live in Athens and I cannot travel at the moment. Could you help me? I need some information.
And just like that my egg freezing journey began. With a simple phone call, I had all the information I needed before my first fertility appointment with the fertility expert.
The quarantine time had delayed my plans a little bit as I couldn’t travel to Athens but on the other hand, I had all the time I needed to collect information, to read, to think about what I wanted to do. I wanted to freeze my eggs at 35, but now at 36 I think that it’s also a good age. Although I am not married-or have a partner, it doesn’t affect my decision. I can freeze time on my 36, at least for my eggs!
I keep thinking: “I want to do the best I can for me, I want to get pregnant easily when the time comes, I want to increase my chances, I need something that will keep me calm. A stress-free ticket!”
I had my first appointment online with Elina Pitsouni (the fertility expert). I had already sent my recent tests and I had discussed my medical history with the coordinator. The doctor had all the data she needed in order to suggest the best plan for me. Along with Dr. Mantoudis they explained to me that their approach is based on the uniqueness of every woman. I shouldn’t compare myself to other women. After our discussion, I was ready to start my treatment. So happy about my decision!
I followed the protocol doctors designed for me. Even the program was adjusted as much as possible to my job schedule, because I had to take days off to travel to Athens.
My treatment was completed in 10 days’ time. One little shot a day, 3 blood tests and ultrasound scans to monitor my ovaries.
Everything went very well! The egg retrieval day came and I was anxious for the light sedation, but the Gennima team was there for me. They explained things step-by-step in simple words and I felt better. The egg retrieval went great, without any side-affects. In the afternoon, the embryologists called me to inform me that almost all my eggs were mature and they managed to freeze 11 of them! I made it!
Maybe, one of these 11 eggs will be my baby one day. I don’t know… Maybe I will never need them. I mean maybe I can get pregnant naturally. But until I find out, I know that they are in safe hands, in perfect conditions and I can always use them.
I am glad I met a strong team like Gennima’s. Sometimes it’s not only the scientific knowledge that matters; it’s also the friendly voice you hear on the phone. If I could give advice, I would only say this: the procedure was 10 times easier that I had imagined. Girls, don’t be afraid! My psychology is totally different now! I feel more calm, more relaxed, more confident! Now I can live without that big stress…
A big “Thank you!” to doctor Evripidis Mantoudis and his team, Mrs Elina, the midwives-mainly Maria- and the embryologists. The way you take care of the women is really the best.
