Vitrification is a comparatively fast process of freezing egg cells for later use. To determine the efficacy of the technique, a certain number of embryos at cleavage stage were cryopreserved with vitrification. The survival rate was 96.9%, while 91.8% had their structure intact, according to an article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
These figures show how vitrification can boost the chances of clinical pregnancy. Here’s why it is mostly adopted by embryologists for infertility treatment in Chennai.
What is Vitrification?
A super fast method, vitrification can cool down the egg cells to -196oC within no time. It is a flash freezing technique and does not take hours. Egg preservation is used to store healthy eggs, for medical reasons, for later use in IVF treatment or to donate to needy couples.
What Makes Vitrification Successful?
There are a couple of factors that are extremely important for egg freezing. The first is the speed of the process and how long it takes overall to vitrify the cells. This technique ensures high cooling rates and prevents the water in the cells from turning into ice. Vitrification is particularly chosen for egg because they are large and have high levels of water, unlike sperms. The longer it takes to freeze, the higher the chances of ice formation. Ice can noticeably shred and damage the egg cells. This can impair the chances of survival and fertilization.
The process can be used at any stage of the human embryo, to freeze the eggs almost instantly. The success rate of vitrification, when compared to slow freezing, is exceptionally high. Most eggs are able to survive and the embryos are successfully implanted.
Secondly, along with being a speedy process, vitrification is comparatively less expensive. The process is simple and can be done in a cost effective way. Vitrification devices like open and closed pulled straw, nylon mesh, fiber plug, cryoloop, plastic blade, cryotop, flexipet denuding pipette, etc., are commercially available and affordable. Although priced reasonably, the quality and efficiency are not compromised. However, don’t try this yourself. Always visit a trusted IVF centre for vitrification.
Apart from these two factors, vitrification is well established due to the high chances of survival, pregnancy and implantation. Although the technique uses high concentration of cryoprotectants, there are minimum chances of adverse effects. Cryoprotectants are usually used to protect the cells from “solution effect” injury. Additionally, they facilitate the freezing of cells and tissues by lowering the melting point of solutions. These cryoprotectants also contain ingredients called ice blockers, which directly stop ice formation, which can destroy cells. These are only used in vitrification.
Vitrification is reliable and safe, and definitely more effective than any other freezing technique. There have been rapid developments medical science so that now there are better techniques that deliver clinically satisfactory results. Before IVF or other infertility treatment in Chennai, make sure the doctors are using vitrified eggs for a smooth pregnancy.
