In Spain, motherhood has undergone a significant change in recent years, reflected in the increasing number of women who decide to become mothers after the age of 40. This trend has seen a significant increase, doubling the figure of the last two decades. Faced with this scenario, the demand for egg preservation techniques has increased, providing women with the opportunity to delay motherhood without compromising the quality of their eggs.
Estefanía Rodríguez, head of the Assisted Reproduction Unit at the Quirónsalud Donostia Day Hospital and Gipuzkoa Polyclinic, highlights the importance of undergoing this preservation before the age of 35. After this age, the quality and quantity of eggs begin to decrease significantly. Rodríguez clarifies that preserving eggs at a time when they still maintain good quality increases the chances of achieving a successful pregnancy in the future.
The process of egg preservation is similar to the in vitro fertilization procedure. It begins with ovarian stimulation through hormonal medication that lasts between 10 and 12 days. Subsequently, the extraction of the eggs is performed in an operating room under sedation, ensuring that the patient does not experience discomfort. On the same day of the intervention, the number of eggs recovered and how many are viable for preservation are evaluated.
Once vitrified, the eggs maintain their quality over time, a crucial aspect for women who wish to postpone motherhood. This technique not only allows the production of embryos, but also ensures the genetic quality of the preserved eggs. According to Rodríguez, the most common reasons why women opt for this technique include work, social, or personal reasons.
Current vitrification techniques offer a high success rate. The egg survival rate is close to 90%, and in the case of women under 35 years of age, the chances of achieving a pregnancy with vitrified eggs are around 50%, provided that the sperm used is also of good quality.
Although egg preservation involves certain risks, these are relatively low. During ovarian stimulation, some women may experience abdominal swelling, and the risks of bleeding during extraction are minimal. After the procedure, antibiotic treatment is administered to prevent complications and personalized follow-up is conducted to ensure the well-being of each patient.
The technique has evolved considerably in recent years, moving from conventional freezing to vitrification, which has significantly reduced alterations in the eggs. According to Rodríguez, previously freezing carried a higher risk of quality loss, a problem that has markedly improved with the adoption of vitrification, offering women a safer and more effective option to take care of their reproductive future.
via: MiMub in Spanish