Social Freezing refers to the precautionary freezing of unfertilized oocytes in order to preserve the possibility of pregnancy at a later time. For women who are currently unable or unwilling to realize their wish to have children, creating an oocyte reserve can be a sensible option.
Female fertility decreases with increasing age. From around the mid-30s, this decline becomes more pronounced. Not only does the number of available oocytes decrease, but also their quality. In particular, the proportion of oocytes with chromosomal abnormalities increases with age.
If oocytes are frozen at a younger age, their age-dependent quality at the time of freezing is preserved. Social Freezing can therefore improve the chances of a later pregnancy with one’s own oocytes when a natural pregnancy is no longer possible at that time.
If you are considering freezing oocytes for a later desire to have children, we are happy to advise you personally.
Based on your age, an ultrasound examination of the ovaries, and if necessary the determination of the AMH value (anti-Müllerian hormone), we can assess your current oocyte reserve and discuss with you whether and at what point in time Social Freezing could be appropriate for you.
The stimulation, oocyte retrieval, vitrification, and later fertilization can be performed in our IVF laboratory in Pfäffikon SZ.
Social Freezing refers to the precautionary freezing of unfertilized oocytes in order to preserve the possibility of pregnancy at a later point in time. Following hormonal stimulation, several oocytes are retrieved from the ovaries and cryopreserved. The oocytes can later be thawed and used as part of fertility treatment.
Social Freezing can be appropriate for women who do not currently wish to or are unable to fulfill their desire to have children, but who wish to keep open the possibility of a later pregnancy. Reasons may include, for example, personal life planning, education, professional situation, or the absence of a suitable partner.
As a general rule: the younger a woman is at the time of freezing the oocytes, the higher their quality is on average. In Switzerland, oocytes may only remain frozen for 10 years. Social Freezing between the ages of 30 and 35 is therefore particularly favorable. Freezing oocytes can also be appropriate after that age. In addition to age, the individual oocyte reserve and personal life planning are among the decisive factors.
Initially, IVF or ICSI treatment is performed. After oocyte retrieval, the oocytes are fertilized and the resulting embryos are cultured in the laboratory for several days. A few cells are removed from suitable embryos and genetically examined. The embryos are usually frozen until the genetic result is available. A suitable embryo can then be transferred to the uterus in a later cycle.
To assess the oocyte reserve, the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in the blood as well as the number of small follicles in the ovaries on ultrasound can be used, among other factors. These examinations help us estimate how the ovaries are likely to respond to hormonal stimulation. However, they cannot reliably predict the quality of the oocytes or a later pregnancy.
At the beginning, the ovaries are hormonally stimulated for approximately ten to fourteen days so that several oocytes mature simultaneously. The growth of the follicles is monitored by ultrasound. Once the oocytes have matured sufficiently, they are retrieved during a brief puncture procedure. Mature oocytes are then frozen and stored in the laboratory.
The appropriate number depends in particular on the age at the time of freezing. Not every frozen oocyte survives thawing, can be successfully fertilized, and develops into an embryo that leads to pregnancy. Therefore, several oocytes are often aimed for. We will discuss individually with you how many oocytes are appropriate in your personal situation.
This depends on how many mature oocytes can be obtained during one stimulation and how many children a woman wishes to have later. For some women, sufficient oocytes can be obtained in one treatment cycle; for others, two or more stimulation cycles may be appropriate.
Today, oocytes are usually frozen by means of vitrification. In this modern procedure, freezing occurs extremely rapidly, which largely prevents the formation of harmful ice crystals. Many oocytes survive subsequent thawing; however, there is no guarantee of this.
No. Social Freezing can preserve the chance of a later pregnancy with one’s own oocytes frozen at a younger age, but it offers no guarantee of a child. The later success depends in particular on the age at freezing, the number and quality of the oocytes, as well as the male factor, fertilization, and the development of the embryos.
If you wish to use your oocytes later, they are thawed and fertilized in the laboratory. With cryopreserved oocytes, fertilization is usually performed by means of ICSI, in which a single sperm is introduced directly into the oocyte. If a suitable embryo develops from this, it can then be transferred to the uterus.
The storage of oocytes is regulated by law in Switzerland and is currently limited to 10 years.
Social Freezing for non-medical reasons is generally not covered by mandatory health insurance in Switzerland. The costs for hormonal stimulation, oocyte retrieval, freezing, and storage of the oocytes must therefore usually be borne by the individual. Different conditions apply for medically necessary fertility preservation, for example before certain treatments.
Since Social Freezing requires oocyte retrieval and a specialized IVF laboratory, the treatment is performed at our location in Pfäffikon SZ. Counselling and certain preliminary examinations can also be performed at our location in Zurich.