Gamete Cryopreservation
What is Gamete Cryopreservation?
Gamete Cryopreservation is an advanced fertility preservation technique used to freeze and store reproductive cells—eggs (oocytes) in women and sperm in men—at extremely low temperatures for future use. This procedure allows individuals and couples to preserve their fertility before undergoing medical treatments, delaying parenthood, or for other personal and medical reasons.
The frozen gametes remain safely stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C, where biological activity is completely halted. When the individual is ready to conceive, the stored eggs or sperm can be thawed and used in assisted reproductive treatments such as IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection).
Process
1. Fertility Assessment – A specialist evaluates reproductive health.
2. Gamete Collection – Eggs are retrieved or sperm is collected.
3. Freezing – Gametes are preserved using advanced vitrification techniques.
4. Storage – Frozen eggs or sperm are stored securely in cryogenic tanks.
5. Future Use – Gametes are thawed and used in fertility treatments like IVF.
Benefits
- Preserves fertility for future family planning
- Protects fertility before cancer treatment or surgery
- Offers flexibility to delay parenthood
- Provides long-term safe storage
- High success rates with modern freezing techniques