It is the latest advancement in reproductive medicine where patients can preserve or retain their fertility or ability to procreate. In present-day urban life, with a hectic lifestyle and increased career orientation, many couples defer having children. However, this might not always be the right decision, since with time the chances of conception go down. But, with medical advancements, young men and women can opt for fertility preservation techniques where they can vitrify their sperm or oocytes to be used later. More common in Western cultures.
Generally, patients who undergo cancer treatments in the form of radiation or chemotherapy are prone to fertility issues. The indications for fertility preservation are also for patients undergoing treatments for conditions likeleukemia, lymphomas, sarcomas, systemic lupus erythematosus, acute glomerulonephritis and beehcet’s disease. These treatments are also known to cause reduced fertility or premature ovarian failure
The rate of cancer in women under the age of 45 years is 4%. Additionally, 15% of all breast cancer cases seem to occur in this age group. Cervical cancer is another common malignancy. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and radical surgery have increased the survival rate in this group to 81%. However, these treatments are proven to either slow down the oocyte or sperm production or damage the reproductive organs leading to infertility in the patient.
Women now have a choice to opt for fertility preservation before undergoing these treatments. This technique preserves the right tissue and acts as a solution to the infertility issues arising from these treatments.
Semen cryopreservation is the oldest and the most successful option for fertility preservation in male cancer survivors, where the sperms are frozen before initiating cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Another modality is the cryopreservation of testicular tissue, where the tissue from testis is frozen. This tissue can later be thawed and sperm extracted for usage with eggs to create embryos. Timely consultation and initiation of the procedure is the key to preserve the fertility of cancer patients.
Advancements in cryobiology have helped evolve the concept of fertility preservation. Oocytes, sperms, embryos and testicular tissue can be cryopreserved and can later be used for conception. At MPH IVF Center we use a novel technique called VITRIFICATION to cryopreserve various reproductive tissues. Vitrification is proven to be an effective, simple, inexpensive, rapid procedure leading to higher survival and developmental rates than those achievable with alternative methods.
Egg freezing via VITRIFICATION is not available at MPH IVF Center The eggs are collected as in IVF PROCEDURE then freeze and use at a later stage when she decides to get pregnant using her own genetic material. Egg freezing success rates are surprisingly low.
This is the most efficient technique that offers the couple an opportunity to have a family. In this technique women’s eggs are fertilized with the sperm of the husband and then frozen, so that the embryos can be used when the couple is ready to have a baby.
Ovarian transplantation is a technique where a small piece of ovarian tissue is cryo-preserved. Later the tissue is thawed and re transplanted, when pregnancy is desired. This is still a new technique and also not very successful as of date. However, with emerging technology this technique is sure to bring wonderful results in the future.
In the process of Semen freezing, semen is collected and mixed with equal amount of cryoprotectant (chemical to protect the sperm cells from cryo-damage) and stored in Liquid nitrogen.
