Egg cryopreservation in Greece: process, costs and problems

Cryopreservation is a method that allows women to preserve their fertility and postpone the birth of a child to a later date.

Especially this method is relevant for those who want to postpone pregnancy for various reasons: due to career, personal preferences or due to certain diseases such as cancer.

However, there are certain difficulties and Factors to consider when deciding whether to cryopreserveincluding the woman's age and the technology used.

The cryopreservation process begins with hormone therapy, which stimulates the ovaries to produce a large number of eggs. They are then removed in a procedure that is performed under local anesthesia and takes about 10-15 minutes. Freezing is carried out using the vitrification method, which is considered the most modern. Despite the many advantages, oocyte cryopreservation is not an ideal solution and has certain limitations:

1. The woman's age at the time of ovulation is critical to the success of the procedure. Women over 35 may have fewer good quality eggs, significantly reducing the chances of success.
2. Oocyte quality. Even with the latest technology, there is no guarantee that all frozen eggs will survive thawing or be successfully fertilized.
3. Success level. Although cryopreservation is considered a successful technology, it does not always give 100% results. Success depends on the quality of the oocytes and the vitrification method. The chances of a successful pregnancy with frozen eggs obtained before age 35 are about 50-60%, which decreases significantly for older women.

According to international statistics, the survival rate of eggs after thawing is from 90 to 97%, and the fertilization rate is from 70 to 80%. However, the final pregnancy success rate is around 30-40% per IVF cycle.

The cost of egg cryopreservation can vary significantly depending on the center and country in which it is performed. In Greece, the cost of the procedure includes several stages:

1. Hormonal stimulation. The cost of drugs for ovarian stimulation can vary from 1000 to 2000 euros, depending on the protocol and the number of drugs needed.
2. Egg retrieval and cryopreservation. The cost of the egg retrieval and freezing process itself ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 euros.
3. Storage. Annual maintenance costs for egg storage typically range from 200 to 400 euros per year.

Thus the total cost of the first stage of cryopreservation can reach approximately 3000-5000 euros. Moreover, if a woman wants use your eggs in the futureshe will have to invest additionally in an IVF cycle, the cost of which will be approximately 3000-5000 euros.

Egg cryopreservation offers women the opportunity to preserve their fertility, but the method is not without its challenges. Factors such as age, egg quality and the success of the procedure play a key role in the chances of pregnancy. Despite the high cost, this method provides a valuable opportunity for women to give birth as planned.

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