Fertility preservation is a great option if you want to pursue egg, sperm or embryo freezing

There’s a common misconception that fertility preservation is only for women and men who are preparing to undergo cancer treatment. However, egg, sperm or embryo freezing is an option for anyone who wants to delay starting or growing their family for any reason. Shauna McKinney, MD is an experienced Tulsa fertility specialist who can guide you through the process of preserving your fertility for the future.

There are two main types of fertility preservation

Patients visit Tulsa Fertility Center to explore egg, sperm or embryo freezing for many different reasons. However, these reasons fall into one of two groups.

Medical preservation, sometimes known as oncofertility, is when our Tulsa fertility specialists preserve a patient’s eggs, sperm or embryos before they undergo treatments that could damage fertility. Some examples include chemotherapy, radiation and certain surgeries.

Social, or elective, fertility preservation refers to egg, sperm or embryo freezing for any other reason. Often, people decide to preserve their reproductive materials to postpone family building while they pursue educational, professional and personal goals. Some people also do it before military deployment.

You’ll undergo different processes, depending on whether you pursue egg, sperm or embryo freezing

When you first visit our Tulsa fertility specialists to pursue fertility preservation, you’ll undergo basic fertility testing. Women will have bloodwork and a transvaginal ultrasound, while men will undergo a semen analysis. The goal is to ensure you have enough healthy eggs or sperm to freeze.

Once your doctor determines that egg, sperm or embryo freezing is right for you, you’ll begin the process to preserve your fertility.

Egg freezing requires you to take ovarian stimulation medications and then undergo an outpatient egg retrieval procedure. Our IVF laboratory team will use vitrification (a special type of flash freezing) to freeze your eggs before storing them for your future use.

Sperm freezing is a relatively simple process. You’ll provide a semen sample by masturbating into a sterile collection container. After separating your live sperm from the seminal fluid, our team will freeze and store your sperm before storing them for your future use.

Embryo freezing involves the same steps as egg freezing. However, instead of freezing the eggs, our team will fertilize them with sperm from your partner or a sperm donor. They’ll then freeze and store your embryos to use for future pregnancy attempts.

When you are ready to conceive using your frozen reproductive materials, we’ll thaw them and then work with you to help you welcome a baby.

Contact us if you have questions about fertility preservation. We look forward to helping you gain peace of mind through egg, sperm or embryo freezing.