Advanced Egg Freezing Technology
Pioneers in the advanced technology of vitrification, Pacific Fertility Center has been using this ultra-rapid freezing technique for both egg and embryo preservation since 2006.
The eggs are exposed briefly to cryoprotectants, which remove water from the cells. The removal of cellular water is a critical part of any freezing procedure. It prevents formation of ice crystals and allows cells to survive the vitrification process, when the eggs are frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196°C.
Eggs can be stored indefinitely without any obvious loss of viability. When they are eventually warmed, water is allowed back into the cells. This restores the pre-vitrification state and washes away any traces of cryoprotectants. The eggs are then fertilized using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and the embryos develop normally.
Embryo Testing
PGT-A, or preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, is performed on embryos to identify numerical whole and partial chromosomal abnormalities or ‘aneuploidy’. Chromosome complement is an important indication of embryo health, pregnancy potential and newborn health. Identifying which embryos have the correct amount of chromosomes prior to embryo transfer allows for the selective transfer of an embryo free of aneuploidy.
Benefits of PGT-A:
- Increases chance of pregnancy
- Decreases risk of miscarriage
- Identifies chromosomally normal (euploid) embryo for single embryo transfer, reducing health risks associated with multiple gestation.