Risk Factors

Elective egg freezing is taking off as a reproductive choice, which women are increasingly turning to for a range of reasons.

All medical procedures carry risks, which vary in probability and severity. There are also other considerations with egg freezing.

Some risk factors to be aware of:

  • Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) – a generally mild and temporary conditions, more common in women with PCOS, caused by a physical response to the hormone stimulation.
  • Risk of complication during egg collection procedure (although this risk is minimal).
  • No eggs being collected during procedure.
  • Some eggs may not survive the freezing / thawing process.
  • Some thawed mature eggs may not fertilise.
  • Transferred embryos (IVF) may not result in pregnancy.
  • There is a chance you may never return to even use your frozen eggs.

Egg freezing cannot ever be guaranteed to lead to a pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby later in life. Women who freeze their eggs may not know the outcome for many years and may lose the opportunity to have a baby naturally.

The expected success of egg freezing can be understood through an initial assessment of your ovarian reserve using a blood test for Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) and an ultrasound of your ovaries and uterus.

While the AMH test can provide insight into the quantity of eggs remaining, it does not give information about the quality of the eggs remaining.

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