Cryopreservation technology: vitrification at -196 °C
It is essential to understand the difference between vitrification and conventional freezing. In the past, slow freezing could generate ice crystals that damaged the cellular structure.
At Viamed Fertility Institute, we know that your personal and professional path does not always align with your biological clock. Fertility preservation is the medical tool that gives you the freedom to decide the right moment to become a mother or father, what we now know as delayed motherhood.
From our facilities at Viamed Hospital Santa Ángela de la Cruz, we transform this technique into an opportunity for the future. Because we know where life begins: in the peace of mind of knowing that your Life Project is protected by a great team of professionals in a leading hospital environment.
It is essential to understand the difference between vitrification and conventional freezing. In the past, slow freezing could generate ice crystals that damaged the cellular structure.
The technique used to cryopreserve oocytes is vitrification, which consists of ultra-rapid freezing of the eggs by direct immersion in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 °C. Under these conditions, they can be preserved indefinitely until they are used in an in vitro fertilisation technique.
The process of preserving fertility, especially in the case of egg vitrification, is a safe, planned and outpatient procedure that lasts approximately 10 to 12 days.
This is how we coordinate it step by step at our centre:
We carry out a study of your ovarian reserve through a gynaecological ultrasound and a blood test. This allows us to check the state of your reproductive health and design a protocol adapted precisely to your body.
This consists of personalised hormonal treatment using simple subcutaneous injections that you can administer yourself at home. The aim is to achieve optimal multifollicular growth. During this phase, which lasts around 10 to 14 days, we carry out between 3 and 4 ultrasound checks at the hospital to monitor follicle growth, together with hormone monitoring blood tests.
This is the procedure in which we retrieve the mature eggs. It is performed in the hospital operating theatre under light sedation so that you do not feel pain. The procedure lasts around 15 to 20 minutes and, after a short stay at the hospital, you can return home the same day.
At the time of retrieval, the laboratory team evaluates the maturity of the oocytes and vitrifies those considered suitable. The eggs are stored safely in liquid nitrogen tanks, maintaining their quality intact until you decide to use them.
In the case of semen preservation, the process is much more direct: after an abstinence period of 2 to 5 days, the sample is collected at our facilities under strict identification protocols, its quality is analysed in the laboratory and cryopreservation is then carried out.
Designed for women who, for professional or personal reasons, or because they have not yet found the ideal time, decide to delay motherhood. Freezing your eggs today allows you to preserve the oocyte quality of your current age for the future.
In the face of cancer diagnoses or autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy treatments may compromise ovarian reserve. We act as quickly as possible to preserve your fertility before starting any aggressive treatment.
The medical recommendation is to do so before the age of 35. After this age, both the quantity and quality of oocytes decline, affecting the chances of success in a future pregnancy.
The success of a future treatment with vitrified eggs depends directly on the woman’s age at the time of freezing and on other underlying factors. When these eggs are used years later, IVF success rates will be very similar to those you had when you carried out the preservation.
After assessing ovarian reserve, we carry out monitored stimulation at the hospital, followed by ovarian puncture in a safe surgical environment and the immediate vitrification of the oocytes considered suitable by our embryology team.
Your future is in the best hands
If you are considering egg freezing or need information about gamete cryopreservation, request your diagnostic appointment at Hospital Santa Ángela de la Cruz. Start your Life Project today.
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