Egg freezing for IVF: What are the success rates?

Egg freezing is an advanced medical procedure that is quickly growing in popularity. And that's why we're here - to lay out everything you need to know in black and white. Around 5,000 pregnancies and deliveries have been derived from frozen eggs, and the results are impressive, with various studies finding no abnormalities regarding:

• Stray chromosomes
• Birth weight
• Organ formation
• Or anything else, frozen eggs produce perfectly, healthy babies

This blog will enlighten you about what new research on egg freezing success rates suggests. You'll also learn about the importance of age in determining the success rate, plus other factors that may influence the success rate.

What does new research on egg freezing success rates suggest?

Determining an accurate egg freezing success rate has been quite a challenge in the past. This is largely due to the slow rate of data collection compared to fast-paced advancements in egg-freezing technology. 

But that's bound to change because researchers have discovered a new model for predicting egg freezing success rates. And it's super reliable because it considers two critical factors; a woman's age at the time of freezing and the number of eggs she has frozen. With that data, it becomes much easier to determine the chances of a healthy pregnancy after egg-freezing.

For instance, researchers examined 520 healthy, fertile women at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and the findings were as follows:

• Women under 35 who freeze 10-20 eggs have a 70-90% chance of at least one live birth
• If they undergo another cycle and increase the number of eggs frozen to 20, their chances jump to 90%

What's the importance of age in determining success rate?

As we mentioned, age is just as critical as the number of eggs frozen in determining the success rate. And the younger a woman is when undertaking the procedure, the better. But what's the logic behind it? 

For starters, a woman's fertility changes drastically, especially in her mid-30s. Even more critical, the chances of developing a genetically healthy embryo decrease with aging, i.e., egg quality diminishes as a woman ages. 

All this means is that a woman should freeze her eggs while she’s younger and then IVF can help her achieve a successful pregnancy when she’s ready. That's because:

• Younger women have top-quality eggs that are less likely to cause genetically-related embryo health complications.
• Younger women are more likely to respond positively to the egg-freezing treatment prep, elevating the success rate. 
• Besides quality, younger women produce a higher quantity of eggs in one cycle, translating to higher egg-freezing success rates.

Other factors that may affect the success rate of egg freezing

A woman's age and the number of their frozen eggs, although critical, aren't the only determinants of the egg-freezing success rate. Other factors include:

• Menstrual health
• Uterine health/environment
• Existence/presence of any fertility issues
• The sperm donor's age
• Sperm quality
• Lifestyle habits, e.g., excessive drinking or smoking, may reduce the egg-freezing success rate

Conclusion: Egg freezing success rate

It's evident that egg-freezing success rates have improved throughout the years, thanks to technological advancements. Notably, the new model of measuring success rates based on the woman's present age is a dramatic improvement from the traditional method that grouped women into age groups. 

We're confident to state that the new data-driven, on-the-go model of predicting egg-freezing success rate is a significant stride in fertility treatment. 

What to learn more about egg freezing? Be sure to check out our fertility preservation service offerings at PFCLA for more information!