What Is IVF?
The term "in vitro fertilization" merely describes fertilization of sperm and egg in the laboratory. The process starts with a woman self-administering subcutaneous injections to cause the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. Once the eggs are mature, a patient is sedated to allow an ultrasound-guided needle to aspirate the eggs. Next, the eggs and sperm are combined in the laboratory, and fertilization occurs. Embryos are cultured in the laboratory for three to five days. Usually the two highest-quality embryos are chosen for transfer to the uterine cavity. The embryo transfer is a simple, painless procedure whereby a flexible catheter is ultrasound guided into the uterus and the embryos are released to implant. Two weeks later a pregnancy test is performed.

Advances in IVF-Cryopreservation
A recent breakthrough in the field of assisted reproduction involves innovations in the success of cryopreservation of eggs. Of course the freezing of sperm is a common occurrence, with sperm banks throughout the U.S. Eggs are much more complicated to freeze and thaw due to the high water content of the egg-which is the largest cell in the female. Just like an ice cube in your freezer, when an egg freezes fractures form due to the crystallization of water disrupting the organelles and cytoskeleton and damaging the egg. By comparison, sperm are merely packages of DNA with very little water content. They are far more tolerant of freezing and thawing.

Although egg freezing is still considered to be largely a research endeavor, many labs, including our own, have experience cryopreserving eggs. Most commonly, women who do not have male partners and are going to undergo chemotherapy or radiation are referred for consideration of egg freezing. If a woman has a male partner, then egg freezing is not usually the best option. Instead, creation of embryos and cryostorage of the embryos is recommended because it is a common procedure that is safe and highly successful. Egg freezing has a limited history, and only hundreds of babies have been born from this technique thus far internationally. This number is too small to prove safety and efficacy as yet. Occasionally I will receive questions from women who would like to "bank some eggs" in case they need them at a later date. Freezing of eggs for social reasons is not yet a useful option; however, it appears likely this will become available for women in the future.