Fertility Preservation for Medical Indications
There are several reasons women may need to preserve their fertility for medical reasons including a cancer diagnosis, severe endometriosis or a family history of early menopause. Cancer patients now are surviving their diagnosis at ever increasing rates but often are rendered infertile by the chemotherapy and radiation necessary to fight their cancer.
Egg Freezing now gives these patients options that they may still be able to have that family they always desired.
Over 50% of IVF programs in the U.S. offer egg freezing, but far fewer programs have reported successful pregnancies after the thaw, averaging only about 10% per cycle. IRMS can report a 35% ongoing pregnancy rate. This is a crucial statistic to consider.
An egg freezing cycle requires a woman to undergo the stimulation of her ovaries through the use of fertility medications for about 2 weeks so that IRMS can harvest as many mature eggs as possible. Preparation and timing for this cycle is usually determined by the last normal menstrual period of the patient; the easiest patients to schedule however are those who are already on oral contraceptives since we can stop them at any time to start medications for an egg freezing cycle. On average, this cycle can be completed within 3–5 weeks from initial consultation. Because we at IRMS understand the combined care our cancer patients are receiving from their oncologist the decision to proceed with egg freezing must be a joint one with full understanding of whether treatment for their cancer can be safely delayed so as to undergo the egg freezing cycle. Because IRMS understands the urgency of the situation we are able to see our cancer patients seeking a consultation immediately.
We have found that even if patients decide NOT to freeze their eggs, our patients all report feeling grateful for the information presented to them. IRMS highly recommends for any woman who needs cancer treatment during her reproductive years to pursue a consult with an IRMS Reproductive Endocrinologist for the most current information and medical treatment available.
If you seek more information please contact IRMS at 973.322.8286.