Freezing eggs

Freeze your eggs for later. A solution for women who may become infertile due to chemo, but also for those who do not have a partner and want to secure their desire to have children. How does it work and what does it actually cost?

Although seed can be frozen (and thawed again) for years, the technique for freezing eggs has only recently been known. Egg cells are relatively large and contain a lot of moisture. Crystals form during freezing and can destroy the eggs. Embryos could already be frozen.

Since 2006

It was not until 2006 that Japanese scientists succeeded for the first time in freezing eggs at an accelerated rate, a method that keeps them intact. A relief for people for whom infertility is lurking due to lack of a partner or due to chemotherapy. The technique is also ideal for women who are at risk of menopause at a young age; that is, if it is discovered in time. How does it work exactly?

In fact, egg freezing is nothing more than a delayed IVF treatment. That is a tough medical treatment. In IVF (in vitro fertilization), one or more eggs are fertilized outside the body with sperm cells. The resulting embryos are then transferred back into the uterus.

Also for egg freezing, women must first inject hormone injections for 10 to 15 days to stimulate egg production strongly. A gynecologist then removes ten eggs from the body by passing a thick needle through the vaginal wall. These eggs are frozen at a temperature of -197 degrees Celsius. When the woman wants to become pregnant, the eggs are thawed and fertilized with a fresh sperm via IVF. The fertilized egg goes back into the body and then the waiting begins. The figures are slightly better for the frozen cells. The chance of getting pregnant with 'normal' IVF is thirty percent. With the freezing of eggs that increases to forty percent.

A not unimportant detail: the costs for freezing eggs are considerably higher than for IVF treatment. An IVF treatment costs about 1,700 euros. Medicines quickly add up to 1300 euros. Freezing eggs is more expensive. In addition to the costs for the IVF treatment, 2200 euros will soon be added for medicines, 400 euros for freezing and 40 euros per year for rent of the freezer. Please note: these are the costs for one treatment. It is quite possible that several treatments are needed to create a 'stock' of eggs. Hospitals such as the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam and the University Medical Center Utrecht simply state the rates for freezing eggs on their website.

A limited number of IVF treatments are included in the basic health insurance package. Freezing eggs is not covered by insurance unless there is a medical indication for reimbursement. For example, if a woman has to start chemotherapy where the ovaries can be damaged or when there is an increased chance of entering the menopause early.

If the reason for the freezing of eggs is a guarantee of a desire to have children (as in women without a partner), payment must be made directly to the hospital. It may also happen that eggs are frozen on the day of an IVF treatment because the man cannot produce live sperm. Furthermore, there are people who, for personal or religious reasons, only want to fertilize one or two eggs. The remaining eggs can then be used later.

Every woman is eligible for freezing eggs, although maximum ages have been set. In the Netherlands, it is 40 years for the removal of eggs and freezing. Replacing must be done before the potential mother turns 45. The latter has not so much a medical reason as it happens to the unborn child. It is believed that a mother of an age when others are grandmothers is not desirable for a young child. In some other countries, by the way, they are less strict about applying such an age limit.
Every woman is eligible for egg freezing, although maximum ages have been set. In the Netherlands, this is 40 years for the removal of eggs and freezing. Replacing must be done before the potential mother