Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is performed in order to preserve the fertility of the patient by the removal of ovarian tissue of one or both ovaries for freezing. Once the patient completes cancer treatment and is ready to build a family, we can transplant the frozen tissue back into the body. The frozen tissue for transplantation will function just like a normal ovary once back in the body, producing all the hormones and eggs, restoring normal ovulatory function, fertility, and menstrual periods.
Since the timeline is of the utmost importance for this procedure, here’s a breakdown of what it looks like.
- Once the Oncologist informs the patient or the patient’s family about the procedure and is interested, the patient or Oncology office can then get in touch with Kofinas Fertility Group’s dedicated Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation Program via call or email. Once the request is received, an appointment can be scheduled for the same day or within 24 hours.
- Kofinas Fertility Group has a dedicated program for this procedure and gives these patients top priority. The initial consultation for this procedure has an expedited time frame in which it will occur. It will consist of a complete health history including the records from the Oncologist, taking blood specimens for pre-operative purposes, and scheduling the surgery as early as the next day. Due to the emergent timeline, this procedure does not require any special preparation on the patient’s part prior to surgery.
- The surgical procedure will take place at Kofinas Fertility Group’s dedicated surgery center, Manhattan Reproductive Surgery Center. Manhattan Reproductive Surgery Center (MRSC) is the first fully licensed surgical facility solely focused on reproductive care in the state of New York. The facility itself is conveniently located in lower Manhattan on 65 Broadway’s 21st floor, the same building as Kofinas Fertility Group’s headquarters. Because MRSC is closely affiliated with the Kofinas Fertility Group, your care will be seamless and the standard of surgical care received is the best that New York has to offer.
- The procedure itself will consist of the ovarian tissue, ovary, or ovaries being removed by a minimally invasive laparoscopy through a tiny incision on the abdominal wall. The amount of tissue removed depends on how much tissue is needed according to the age of the patient and what form of cancer treatment is required. The amount of tissue is also taken according to how much will be needed to re-implant back into the patient to restore normal reproductive function and fertility. This will be discussed by your surgeon so that you are fully informed prior to the procedure.
- The duration of the procedure will also depend on how much tissue is required to cryopreserve (freeze), but is typically a one hour procedure. The tissue is then processed for freezing within 30 seconds after removal. The processing and preparation of freezing the tissue happens immediately because the MRSC operating rooms have a direct pass-through window to Kofinas Fertility Group’s dedicated Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation laboratory where the tissue will be preserved and stored.
- Immediate freezing preserves the viability of the ovarian tissue and the greater the number of oocytes (eggs) that survive the freezing and eventual thawing for re-implantation.
- Once the procedure is complete, the patient will be monitored in our post-operative recovery bay for 1-2 hours. This is an outpatient procedure so the patient is able to go home the same day. Recovery looks different for everyone, but patients are typically ambulatory (able to move around) as soon as the next day after the procedure.