Egg freezing: definition, costs and procedure

When should you freeze your eggs? How much does social freezing cost? How many eggs should you freeze? Are there any disadvantages to social freezing? Find out all there is to know about egg freezing, including the definition and procedure.

What is social freezing?

Social freezing (also called social egg freezing) is a medical procedure in which a doctor retrieves a patient’s eggs (oocytes) and freezes them. Fertility declines with age, so this will ideally happen before the age of 35. The patient then benefits from the flexibility of having children later in life if she chooses, as she still has the frozen eggs available once her natural fertility has declined.

By the way, there’s a difference between social freezing and medical freezing. Medical freezing applies to cases where of future impairment of the patient’s fertility for medical reasons, for example chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Social freezing in Switzerland: costs

There are various costs associated with egg freezing, including costs for hormone treatment and storing the oocytes. If a patient’s eggs have to be frozen due to a therapy that might impair her fertility, health insurance companies will cover the costs under basic insurance after a prior examination of the indications. The eggs are stored for ten years, provided the patient is no older than 40 years of age. In the event of other illnesses, doctors decide on a case-by-case basis whether the criteria for medically necessary egg freezing are met.

Good to know: basic insurance also covers the cost for men to freeze their sperm if it is required for medical reasons.

Tip: The Zurich fertility clinic Cada offers specialist advice and support for people who want to have children.

Why freeze your eggs?

The reasons for social freezing are many and varied. Some women wish to delay having children because they have other priorities. Perhaps they want to focus on their professional development or like to travel. Others may not have found a suitable partner yet. Many women therefore want flexibility and self-determination in their family planning. Freezing their eggs can give them the option of still becoming pregnant after the age of 35.

The majority of patients see social freezing as a precautionary measure for the future, as fertility declines with age and makes pregnancy later in life difficult. Egg freezing creates peace of mind – even if the patient doesn’t necessarily want children.

Endometriosis and egg freezing

If you suffer from endometriosis, a doctor can surgically remove the endometriotic cysts. In many cases, such a procedure will have a negative impact on ovarian function and ovarian reserves. Under these circumstances, the conditions for medical freezing are met.

Egg freezing: procedure

How does egg freezing work? The procedure for social freezing is similar to artificial insemination. First, the patient receives hormone treatment for two weeks, usually in the form of daily injections, with the aim of stimulating egg production. The doctor then retrieves the mature eggs by inserting a needle through the vaginal wall of the patient under anaesthesia. Ideally, at least 15 eggs are retrieved for social freezing. These eggs then undergo a vitrification process, a fast-freezing technique at minus 196 degrees Celsius. This prevents the formation of ice crystals, which could damage the eggs. How long can you freeze your eggs for? In Switzerland, the maximum storage period for social freezing is ten years.

If the patient wishes to have children at a later point in time, the stored eggs are thawed. In general, around 90% of the eggs are viable for fertilisation. This takes place in a laboratory for in vitro fertilisation with sperm from the patient’s partner (intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)). Once the eggs are fertilised, the doctor inserts an embryo into the patient’s uterine cavity.

When women decide to freeze their eggs, the success rate depends on the number of eggs retrieved and the patient’s age. With social freezing, the probability of a pregnancy is 70%, if the woman freezes at least 15 eggs before the age of 35. To increase the chances of success, or if the woman is older, more eggs can be frozen.

Can fertilised eggs be frozen?

Fertilised eggs can be frozen. This is often the case after in vitro fertilisation, when there are several fertilised eggs available. In this case, doctors generally only transfer one embryo into the patient’s uterine cavity. This reduces the risk of a multiple pregnancy. The remaining fertilised eggs or embryos are then stored in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius.

Egg freezing – which age is best?

When it comes to egg freezing, there is no legal age limit. However, social freezing only makes sense up to a certain age. So which age is best for patients to freeze their eggs? Ideally, the eggs are retrieved before the woman reaches the age of 35. In some cases, egg freezing is possible up to the age of 40, if the ovarian reserves allow. Your doctor can provide you with comprehensive advice.

Social freezing: risks and side effects

There may be disadvantages to social freezing under certain circumstances. Egg freezing carries certain risks and side effects. Possible problems include:

Side effects due to hormonal factors: Hormonal stimulation of egg production sometimes leads to dizziness and feelings of tension, hot flushes, bloating and abdominal pain.
Bleeding: Egg retrieval occasionally causes bleeding.
Infection: A bacterial infection in the ovaries is possible.

Note that in rare cases, hormone treatment can lead to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). This tends to be mild and lasts for up to two weeks after egg retrieval. Fewer than 1% of cases are severe. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and shortness of breath. These cases require a stay in hospital.

Social egg freezing can support you in having children when the time is right for you. If you are interested, talk to your doctor about your options. They will accompany you every step of the way and answer any questions you may have.