Cryo (cryopreservation) or ultra-fast freezing of cells is a modern method to provide a high level of survival of cells after the thawing process due to the high concentration of cryoprotectants we use.
Cryopreservation is used to freeze eggs and embryos. This method enhances the percentage of cell survival is up to 90% and higher. As a result the egg, which survive the process of thawing, is characterized by the same behavior as frozen ones, which allows the sperm to fertilize them and obtain embryos that can be implanted, and as a result to ensure the growing of healthy children. In turn, the thawed embryos allow carrying a normal healthy pregnancy, although it must be remembered that the rate of implantation is less than that of fresh embryos.
The possibility of infertility treatment has expanded considerably thanks to the technique developed by cryo-freezing of sperm, eggs and embryos, which made IVF procedure more flexible.
The reproductive function of women from 30 to 40 years old begins a decrease. The ovaries are not that strong anymore and cannot fully perform their function, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to get pregnant in such cases, and the chances of having a healthy baby are quite small.
Women who get closer to 35 years old have only about 10% of the total number of oocytes in their body, and their quality is much worse than of a younger women. Therefore, a huge importance has freezing of oocytes of woman at their reproductive age (up to 38 years old), which allows them to further unfreeze a good egg, fertilize them and plant embryos.
Women usually appeal to oocytes freezing when it is necessary to postpone the birth of a child, in case of endometriosis, or if the patient does not want to freeze embryos in IVF cycles.
Freezing is an extremely valuable tool in creating a bank of donor sperm: firstly, it enables the use of the sperm with the desired characteristics at any time and in any place, and secondly, allows the dual control of the donor in respect of contamination of the sperm with the AIDS virus, which practically eliminates the risk of infection of woman and the fetus.
Cryoembryos are most likely to appear during the preparation of a large number of mature embryos. And as it is possible to plant only two, they need to be frozen in order to be thawed and planted in future.
Studies have shown that IVF with using frozen semen and / or embryos increases the chances of pregnancy and does not affect the health of the child.
When freezing embryos, the financial side of the patient plays an important role. For the patient it is much cheaper to plant embryos are thawed them after than start the whole cycle of IVF from the beginning.