Within days of writing about the modern benefits of egg freezing a new study was published in JAMA based upon old data. They looked at national data from 2013 and concluded that pregnancy rates from egg donors were lower if the eggs had been frozen than if they were fresh. That was probably true back then. But technology is advancing at an exponential rate. Reproductive medicine is arguably one of the most technology dependent fields of medicine. So applying 2013 results to current decision making is flawed from the very onset. Having said that, let’s consider what this publication may be able to teach us and how we should more accurately interpret it today.
This study looked at the 2013 Annual Report of the pregnancy rates from fertility centers in the USA which were collected by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. The science and experience of most centers using this technology has advanced considerably since then. In fact, it was in late 2013 that the Practice Committee for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine published the guidelines for oocyte cryopreservation. In their review they pointed out the fact that much of the data that they analyzed was from Europe as few clinics in the USA had published their experience with egg freezing at that time. They also clarified how the difference in techniques used to freeze/thaw the eggs had progressed rapidly resulting in dramatic improvements in success rates. As a result, the removed the “experimental label” from the procedure because of these advances. However one of their most important ultimate conclusions was that “success rates may not be generalizable, and clinic-specific success rates should be used to counsel patients whenever possible.” Despite that clearly stated recommendation, this latest research paper lumped together all of the clinic data and created the latest public misinformation campaign.
Today, many more centers have experience in freezing/thawing eggs using the most modern technique of vitrification. As a result, more patients that need donor eggs are able to benefit from the lower cost and greater convenience of frozen eggs and still enjoy the very best in success rates. Better still, many egg banks offer special guarantees so that if a specific donor’s eggs do not perform well: they will have access to replacement eggs without additional cost. So the best message for patients in need of donor eggs today is to be a wise consumer. Patients should ask their clinical very candidly about their unique experience with frozen donor eggs. I think that they will find greater reassurance in today’s science than in yesterday’s news.
Enhancing Fertility 