What Is Ovarian Tissue Storage?
Ovarian tissue storage is the storage of ovarian tissue, often prior to cancer treatments, in hopes of extracting viable eggs from the tissue sample for future fertilization. This process is still considered experimental, however, advancements in medicine have made this procedure more common in the past several years. The tissue is removed typically through laparoscopy and cryopreserved until the patient is ready and wanting to start a family. At that time, the tissue is re-transplanted and the woman is given hormone treatments to stimulate ovulation, either for natural birth or IVF.
Who Uses Ovarian Tissue Storage and Why?
Most women choose to store ovarian tissue because they will be undergoing cancer treatment therapies that may affect their future fertility. This type of reproductive storage is commonly associated with oncology patients because it allows for a relatively quick retrieval (1 – 2 days) and therefore only a short postponement of the chemo or radiotherapy. Although ovarian tissue cryopreservation is considered an experimental option, this procedure has yielded successful live births, and is currently occurring in infant girls.
The Long-term Ovarian Tissue Storage Experts
At ReproTech, our one and only job is storage. It’s all we do, and we do it well. Since 1990, we’ve been at the forefront of cryostorage for a range of reproductive specimens. With our industry expertise, we are able to provide the best value through our tried and tested methods developed over the past 2+ decades. Because of this experience, we know how to provide cost-effective cryostorage to both individuals and clinics nationwide.
How Do I Get Started With Ovarian Tissue Storage?
Ovarian tissue storage appointments are available for scheduling within one to three days of your initial call. While it is advantageous for patients to bank all frozen ovarian tissue specimens prior to beginning cancer treatment therapies that can result in infertility, recent studies have shown that viable samples can be collected in the early stages of some treatments. To begin the process of freezing ovarian tissue, please visit our Network of Freezing Centers to find an Ovarian Tissue Freezing Center near you.
To find more information on the long-term storage of your frozen ovarian tissue, please click the location nearest you:
The Future Of Ovarian Tissue Storage
ReproTech is also working with the National Physicians Cooperative of the Oncofertility Consortium, a multi-site NIH grant funded study looking at new options for ovarian tissue cryopreservation and use. ReproTech provides the cryostorage services for this ground breaking research. Cancer patients who are participants in the ovarian tissue program will have an ovary surgically removed and cryopreserved before they begin treatment. Twenty percent of the ovarian tissue will be used for research and eighty percent for the woman to use in the future.
Eventually, the goal is to thaw the tissue when the woman is ready to have children and mature the follicles in a special gel made from brown algae that supports its three-dimensional development. The mature eggs would then be fertilized and implanted into the woman. The laparoscopic removal of an ovary does not require a significant delay in cancer treatment beyond one to two days of recovery. Additionally, infants as young as 6 months can undergo this procedure because neither puberty nor fertilization are required.
Disposition Options
Contact ReproTech for options for final disposition of reproductive tissue once your reproductive tissue storage needs have ended.