Dr. Phan Ha Minh Hanh of the Assisted Reproductive Technology Department at Tam Anh General Hospital - District 8 (IVF Tam Anh District 8) stated that egg freezing empowers women to choose when to become pregnant. Malignant diseases and treatments like surgery or radiation therapy affecting the pelvic area and reproductive system can diminish egg quantity and quality, leading to temporary or permanent infertility. Lengthy treatment, increasing age, and psychological factors can deplete ovarian reserves, preventing women from having biological children.

Freezing eggs before undergoing treatment for these conditions can increase the chances of retrieving numerous high-quality eggs, improving the likelihood of successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) and healthy births in the future. It also provides peace of mind during treatment, allowing patients to focus on recovery and choose the right time for conception.

Dr. Hanh consults with a patient. Illustrative photo: Nguyen Thang

This method is also common for women experiencing infertility due to diminished ovarian reserves, who require egg collection over multiple cycles for IVF. It's also used when the male partner cannot provide a sperm sample, in which case the woman's retrieved eggs are frozen. Members of the LGBT community can proactively freeze their eggs before undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy. If they retain their uterus, they can use their frozen eggs for IVF to have biological children.

According to Government Decree 207, effective from 1/10, single women can access assisted reproductive technologies, including egg freezing and sperm donation for IVF, without medical justification.

Dr. Hanh recommends that women freeze their eggs before the age of 35, ideally around 30. Younger women have larger and higher-quality ovarian reserves. From 35 onward, reserves decline significantly, egg quality decreases, and the risk of errors during cell division increases. These factors reduce the success rate of future IVF, increase the risk of embryo abnormalities, and elevate the chances of pregnancy complications and birth defects.

According to Dr. Hanh, egg freezing is a complex technique because 99% of an egg cell is water. IVF Tam Anh District 8 utilizes vitrification, which prevents damage to egg cells during freezing by reducing ice crystal formation, thus increasing the survival rate of eggs after thawing. The success rate of IVF using thawed eggs at IVF Tam Anh is 97%.

Hoai Thuong