Thai
Thai
Thai
Thai
Thai
Thai
Sperm and embryo cryopreservation is a technique used to preserve reproductive cells and embryos in a frozen state. Sperm freezing allows men to preserve sperm for future use, while embryo freezing helps preserve embryos obtained from IVF for later use and gives couples greater flexibility in family planning.
With current technology, couples can preserve embryos and sperm for future use through a freezing process called Cryopreservation, using a technique known as “Vitrification.” This technique is currently widely used because it causes very little damage to embryos and sperm and provides pregnancy outcomes that are close to those achieved using embryos or sperm that have not undergone freezing.
Freezing technology allows greater flexibility in family planning by preserving quality sperm and embryos for use at an appropriate time in the future, whether for health reasons, medical treatment, or family readiness.
Freezing with the Vitrification technique helps reduce the formation of ice crystals inside the cells, allowing the quality of sperm and embryos to be effectively preserved. When they are used in the future, doctors can plan continued treatment based on what has already been preserved, without having to restart the entire process every time.
For people who are about to undergo certain types of treatment, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery that may affect the reproductive system, preserving sperm or embryos in advance is another option for preserving the opportunity to have children in the future.
Planning in advance allows doctors to better assess the appropriate timing for preserving reproductive cells and select a method that is more suitable for each individual.
During the IVF or ICSI process, if there are more suitable-quality embryos than the number intended for transfer in that cycle, the remaining embryos can be frozen for future use. This allows couples to plan embryo transfer in a subsequent cycle without having to undergo ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval again each time.
For patients receiving IVF or ICSI treatment, if ovarian stimulation results in a large number of eggs, there is a chance of obtaining a larger number of embryos after fertilization. Good-quality embryos that are not used for transfer into the uterine cavity in the first cycle should therefore be preserved by freezing. When embryo transfer is needed in subsequent cycles, the frozen embryos can be used without having to restart the entire process again.
In addition, sperm freezing can be used to preserve sperm as a backup for use in in vitro fertilization. It is also suitable for patients undergoing IVF or ICSI who are unable to ejaculate on the day of egg retrieval.
The embryo and sperm freezing programs can also be used in other situations where these cells need to be preserved for future use, such as cancer patients who still wish to have children in the future or need to undergo treatments that may negatively affect reproductive cell production, whether through surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. They can also be used in cases where individuals wish to preserve embryos or freeze eggs and sperm for family planning at an appropriate time, such as when they reach an age at which they are ready to start a family, or when they wish to plan pregnancy and childbirth during an auspicious year.
Sperm cryopreservation is the process of collecting sperm through male masturbation and then freezing the collected sperm at a very low temperature of -196°C, so that it can be used in medical procedures to help have children in the future.
Sperm Collection Procedure
Sperm collection is an option for those who want to plan for having children in the future. The doctor will instruct the man to abstain from ejaculation for at least 3–7 days. After that, he will ejaculate the semen into a clean container before proceeding with the sperm freezing process at -196°C. A Cryoprotectant is used to preserve sperm quality and prevent damage caused by extremely low temperatures.
Frozen sperm has a survival rate of more than 90% and can be stored for more than 50 years, while maintaining quality equivalent to that on the day it was collected from the body.
Embryo cryopreservation is the process of preserving embryos obtained through in vitro fertilization by freezing the embryos using the same technique as sperm freezing. This is highly beneficial for family planning and infertility treatment.
Embryo collection and freezing is an option for couples who want to plan for having children in the future. The process includes the following steps:
Frozen embryos have a survival rate of up to 95% and can be stored for many years while maintaining quality close to that on the day they were frozen.
Sperm can be stored for more than 50 years, while embryos can be stored for many years. However, doctors generally recommend using them within 5–10 years to provide the highest chance of pregnancy.
At VFC Center Fertility Center, sperm freezing and embryo freezing services are available, with prices starting from 11,000 baht.
However, costs may change depending on promotions and other additional expenses.
The success rate depends on many factors. In general, frozen sperm has a survival rate of more than 50%, while frozen embryos have an implantation rate close to that of fresh embryos.
Based on previous studies, no significant increase in the risk of abnormalities has been found in children born from frozen sperm or frozen embryos compared with natural pregnancies.
There is no impact on the ability to have children naturally in the future. Freezing is simply a method of preserving reproductive cells or embryos.