Fertility preservation is a procedure by which people can retain their fertility and thus preserve their ability to reproduce. This process includes the preservation of reproductive tissue, sperm or egg so that it can be used later to produce biological children. Fertility is very beneficial in cancer patients as radiation, chemotherapy and surgical removal of reproductive organs can result in infertility in men. It is ideal to undergo fertility preservation before cancer treatment. This process is also beneficial in people having auto-immune diseases like lupus. People who are expecting to delay their plans of having children can opt for fertility preservation techniques.

Fertility Preservation Techniques for Males

Some of the fertility preservation techniques that men can opt for before, during or after treatment are:

• Sperm Banking: the process of sperm banking involves the collection of sperm specimen from the patient which are then analysed, frozen and stored for future use. Using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), the best shaped and fastest sperms are selected and injected into women's egg to complete fertilization and create embryos.
• Testicular Sperm Extraction: men who don't have mature sperms even after reaching puberty can opt for this process. Testicular tissues are obtained by open biopsy and examined for sperm cells. Sperm cells obtained are separated and used immediately or frozen for later use with ICSI or IVF.
• Radiation Shielding: if radiation is directed towards the testicular region, it can cause infertility. The gonads are shielded by lead sheets during radiation therapy to help in fertility preservation.
• Testicular Tissue Freezing: the testicular tissues which include sperm cells are removed surgically, analyzed, frozen and stored for future use.

Fertility Preservation Techniques for Females

• Embryo Cryopreservation: in this process, the fertilized embryos are obtained and preserved at sub zero temperatures. In the patients, IVF is performed to store the embryos for further use.
  Mature and immature oocyte cryopreservation: oocyte preservation is an option for single women who are not married or do not have a partner. In this process, the mature oocyte is obtained through ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval. The retrieved oocyte is then preserved at sub zero temperatures and stored for further use.
• Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation: ovarian cortical tissue is rich in primodial follicles. Due to laparotomy or laparoscopy, ovarian failure might occur. The tissues are retrieved prior to ovarian failure, dissected into small pieces and preserved at sub zero temperatures.
• In vitro Maturation (IVM): this process involves the aspiration of immature oocyte after minimal or no ovarian stimulation. It is followed by IVM and cryopreservation of embryos or mature oocytes.
• Ovarian Transposition: this process includes the removal of ovaries from the field of radiation by cutting the utero-ovarian ligaments.
• Gonadal Shielding: in young girls, gonadal shielding with lead sheets is done to decrease the chances of infertility.

Why Choose ARC?

• At ARC, we provide early treatment with expert help to deal with your infertility issues.
• Cutting edge infrastructure and state of the earth laboratory makes ARC one of the best a IVF treatment facilities in the world.