Cryopreservation is the method of cooling and storing cells, organelles, tissues, organs, or other biological constructs, at low temperatures to maintain their sustainability.

What is Oocyte Cryopreservation?

Human oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing) is a technique to preserve a female’s eggs. If someone is planning to postpone pregnancy to a later age either because of medical reasons or any other personal and social reasons, oocyte cryopreservation is recommended.

The uterus of women remains fully functional even after 40 years of age, but the formation of oocytes (eggs) stops with age. During oocyte cryopreservation, eggs are removed, frozen, and stored at low temperatures. When needed, eggs are thawed, fertilized, and after fertilization repositioned to the uterus as an embryo.

What is Sperm Cryopreservation?

Sperm cryopreservation is also known as sperm banking or sperm freezing. Sperm cryopreservation is a procedure in which sperm cells are frozen and stored at low temperatures.

What is Embryo Cryopreservation?

Embryo cryopreservation is the method of freezing and storing an embryo at sub-zero temperature.  Cryopreservation of the embryo is done for the remaining embryos, after an IVF cycle. Couples who fail to conceive during the IVF cycle can use these preserved embryos without having to go through a full IVF cycle.

Indications of Cryopreservation

Cryopreservation increases chances of pregnancy in the following conditions-

• Women or men diagnosed with cancer and going for chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
• Women with a family history of early menopause
• For couples undergoing infertility treatment cryopreservation, the technique is used as an assisted reproductive technique.
• Social reasons like an employment agreement or pursuing some higher education.
• Men undergoing vasectomy or any other treatment which affect fertility
• People not having a partner yet or due to some other reasons, who want to preserve their ability to have children of their own in the future.

LImitation of Cryopreservation

Despite many usages of cryopreservation, some limitations are there-

• Preserving cells at low temperature may lead to genetic drift by a change in cell-associated lipids and proteins
• A high concentration of cryopreservation agent can damage to preserved cell