Fertility Preservation : What, Why and How ?

WHAT IS FERTILITY PRESERVATION?

Fertility preservation is the process designed to protect and preserve your fertility for the future. It involves preserving eggs, sperms, embryos or reproductive tissue so that you can have a biological family in the future. Prolonging your ability to have children is increasingly becoming prevalent for people having medical ailments like Cancer.

WHY SHOULD ONE PRESERVE FERTILITY?

In Summary, there are 3 Possible broad reasons to preserve fertility for certain people.

1. PATIENTS WHO ARE UNDERGOING MEDICAL TREATMENT:

Some of the drugs used in cancer treatment cause infertility especially in high doses. Therefore, patients having certain types of cancer and undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy may consider freezing their eggs or sperms or embryos. These can be utilised once the treatment is over and the patient is desirous of starting a family.

1. FINANCIAL/EMOTIONAL REASONS:

If for certain pressing financial or emotional reasons, one is not ready to start a family then the option of fertility preservation may exist. In females, fertility declines with age and the rate sharply reduces after 40 Years of age. Preserving one’s eggs when a woman is in her late twenties or early thirties gives women the flexibility to conceive later on in life using their own eggs that had been preserved.

1. WORK REASONS:

Some people may choose to preserve on account of the work that they do. As an example, Armed forces personnel deployed in unsafe environments may freeze their eggs or sperms or embryos before deployment to preserve future fertility in case of injury.

HOW: TYPES OF FERTILITY PRESERVATION

1.Egg Freezing: Egg Freezing is also known as Mature Oocyte Cropreservation.Eggs are harvested from the Ovaries and frozen unfertilized stored to be used later. A Frozen Egg can be thawed, combined with a sperm in a laboratory and implanted into the uterus later. Egg Freezing does not require sperm because the eggs are not fertilized before freezing. As is the case with Embryo Freezing detailed later, fertility drugs are often used later for ovulation so that the eggs can be retrieved.

2. Ovarian tissue freezing: Despite Clinical Progress, this option has still not been actively pursued and is mostly confined on an experimental basis. It is useful for women who wish to have children after a treatment that may cause infertility, such as certain cancer treatments. In this procedure, some or all of the Ovary is removed and the tissue that contains the eggs is frozen.

3. Sperm freezing: This pertains to men and they can free freeze their sperms to be utilized at a later stage in life or for donating for someone else’s treatment. Donated sperms are screened for infections before being used for a recipient. Men can go for this if they are facing a medical treatment or if they have a low sperm count and which is declining or if you are at risk of Life (for example you are in the Armed Forces and deployed in a War Zone).

4. Testicular tissue freezing:

This is an option for male patients who are unable to produce Sperm and hence unable to preserve sperms. While there is limited evidence or results to prove this treatment option, researches done across various countries suggest preserving testicular tissues can be used to restore fertility. Given the spate of developments, Options may be certainly available in the future for patients who preserve testicular tissue are transplantation of spermatogonia stem cells

5.Embryo freezing:

During the IVF Treatment of a Couple, there may be good quality Embryos that are left after the transfer of Embryos transfer. One can freeze these Embryos and use them in the future in an event the current cycle does not prove to be positive or one may plan for a sibling at a later stage. It is important to note that only Good quality Embryos are suitable for freezing. The Frozen Embryos are stored in tanks of Liquid Nitrogen until they are ready to be used.

To conclude, preserving fertility depends on the situation of the patients and all clinics must give an opportunity to the patients to receive proper counselling regarding the same.

Dr Mona Dahiya is widely considered as the Best IVF Specialist in Delhi. She heads Little Angel IVF, which is constantly ranked as the Best IVF Clinic in Delhi based on Positive Patient Reviews and other Acknowledgements. Dr Mona Dahiya is India’s Renowned IVF Specialist with Academic Qualifications from Top League Medical Institutions in India and Abroad. Best Test Tube Baby Clinic in Delhi excels in counselling patients to understand their fertility issues and suggesting them the best way to preserve fertility.

Little Angel IVF clinic is known for fertility rates higher than the national average in IVF Clinics in India. Little Wonder, Dr Mona Dahiya is ranked continuously as the Best IVF Specialist in India. Little Angel IVF is known for Care, Personalized Treatment, World Leading practices and Positive Results. IVF Programs at Little Angel IVF are accompanied by a number of methods which help improve IVF results and increase the chances of pregnancy, for instance assisted embryo hatching, PICSI, blastocyst culture or Embryoscope. Little Angel IVF places the Highest emphasis on quality control within the laboratory that strictly adheres to ISO standards and Parameters. Dr Mona Dahiya is widely praised by patients for her Personalized Treatment to make sure that every patient is explained the process clearly and all the IVF procedures are aligned to the requirements of the patients. Little Angel IVF (Male infertility Treatment in Gurgaon) takes pride in following the Highest Ethical Standards and every Patient of Little Angel IVF can vouch for it.

Dr Mona Dahiya of Little Angel IVF has written various National & International Journals. She is an eminent and Renowned Doctor with Fellowship from Singapore General Hospital, PG and Residency from Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi University and MBBS from Lady Hardinge Medical College Delhi University. Dr Mona Dahiya of Little Angel IVF is continuously ranked as the Best IVF Specialist in India. Dr Mona Dahiya of Little Angel IVF has done over 3000 IVF Cycles and has helped thousands of patients become proud parents.