Fertility Preservation

The Fertility Preservation Program at the Henry Ford Center for Reproductive Medicine is dedicated to helping you maintain the ability to conceive children when faced with a medical condition that may impact your future fertility. Additionally, women with a family history of early menopause or those who choose to delay childbearing also may benefit from fertility preservation.

Egg cryopreservation (egg freezing)

In today's culture, some women are delaying starting a family in order to focus on a career or for other personal reasons. While these women know they would like to have a family "someday," now is not the right time. This doesn’t change the fact that as these women get older, their fertility decreases. For this group, egg cryopreservation or "egg freezing" is an option.

In the past, egg freezing was typically considered for medical reasons. For example, young women who are diagnosed with cancer or other serious illnesses choose to freeze their eggs because their fertility can decline after treatment. But with advancements in egg harvesting and preservation, fertility preservation has become viable for a new population of women and couples as a way of preserving the possibility of pregnancy into the future.

The egg freezing procedure involves extracting eggs from the ovaries and freezing them for a later point in time when they can be fertilized. The process, which takes about three weeks, starts with a medication that increases the levels of hormones naturally created by the body. As a result, the ovaries release multiple eggs at the same time.

From there, a small surgical procedure allows doctors to remove the eggs. This usually results in about ten eggs, so many women choose to repeat the process to guarantee successful pregnancies later on.

Ideally, candidates for non-medical egg freezing are about 37 or younger and in good health. In medical situations, it depends on the patient’s prognosis.

To learn more about egg freezing and other forms of fertility preservation or to schedule an appointment with our Center for Reproductive Medicine, call (248) 637-4050 or fill out an appointment request form.

Other forms of fertility preservation

Chemotherapy and radiation used to treat cancer can reduce your fertility or cause sterility. Our approach is to gain a clear understanding of your condition to determine the best options for future fertility. We offer the latest technology in fertility preservation services.

Gonadal shielding

In this process, the reproductive organs -- such as the ovaries or testicles -- are protected from radiation using medication or metal shields.

Ovarian transposition

The ovaries are surgically moved to another area outside the field of radiation.

Embryo cryopreservation

Eggs removed from the ovaries are fertilized with sperm outside the body to create embryos. These embryos are frozen so they can be implanted in the future.

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation

In this procedure, a portion of ovary is removed and frozen. When the woman is ready to become pregnant, the tissue is put back into the body with the goal of developing mature eggs for either spontaneous pregnancy or in vitro fertilization.

Donor services

Donations of eggs, sperm or embryos may be an option for some patients who lose the ability to produce eggs or sperms on their own.