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A recent study has found that the success rates of freezing eggs are comparable to those obtained through traditional in vitro fertilization (IVF). Published in the peer-reviewed journal Reproductive Biomedicine Online, the 15-year-long study analyzed nearly 30,000 frozen eggs and revealed an overall live birth rate of 26% per embryo transfer.
This research highlights that the effectiveness of egg freezing, similar to traditional IVF, is influenced by factors such as female age and embryo quality. Women who froze their eggs before the age of 36 experienced higher success rates, with a total live birth rate reaching 45% after transferring all embryos developed from thawed eggs. However, the rate dropped significantly for women over the age of 35, with those over 40 seeing only a 5% success rate.
“These are results comparable with those nationally recorded in routine IVF,” said Professor Nick Macklon, senior author of the study and Medical Director of the London Women’s Clinic. The cumulative live birth rate across the study was 34%, increasing to 57% for women who froze their eggs before age 35.
The number of women opting for egg-freezing treatment has surged from 150 in 2015 to over 800 in 2022. Despite this increase, only 14% of these women return to thaw their eggs. Out of 2,171 patients, 299 returned, completing 332 thaw cycles.
A notable finding was the “freeze-all” cycle, which had a 30% live birth rate. This rate improved to 40% when chromosomal screening (preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, or PGT-A) was used. Notably, all live births in women aged 40 and above were from screened embryos.
While there has been some skepticism surrounding egg freezing, the study’s findings suggest that this technique provides a viable path to pregnancy, comparable to IVF. “Egg freezing and thawing can provide a very real opportunity for women to achieve pregnancy and live birth,” the study concluded.
These results are promising for women considering egg freezing as a means to preserve fertility, offering a viable alternative to traditional IVF with comparable success rates.
