Hampshire's Complete Fertility has become the first Southern clinic to purchase a TMRW CryoRobot Select for improved handling and storage of frozen eggs and embryos.
The ground-breaking technology autonomously monitors conditions several thousand times daily, moving away from laborious manual procedures, and supplying indispensable tranquillity for patients undertaking or contemplating fertility treatments.
This comes as egg freezing positions itself as the UK's fastest-growing fertility treatment solution. The 2022 amendment to the storage regulations of eggs, sperm, and embryos from 10 to a maximum of 55 years has further buoyed its popularity.
This provides options for women desiring a family later in life, offering opportunities to delay childbirth for personal reasons and for those unable to use their biologically sourced eggs during treatment, allowing the application of donated frozen eggs.
Recent evidence provided by Complete Fertility's 2000-person survey revealed that nearly a third of 20 - 24-year-old women voiced interest in securing their eggs.
Patient Annabel Robbins, aged 37, from the Isle of Wight, selected egg freezing after evaluating her fertility. After finding out she had fewer eggs than usual for her age, Robbins saw egg freezing as the best chance for future family planning.
Ms Robbins said: "For me it is about timing. I was either not in the right relationship or when I was, my career and studying took over.
"After the initial tests, I was told I had very low egg reserve. To add to it, starting the procedures at 35 years of age has meant I had to go through three egg collections to get even a few eggs that were suitable for freezing. Now it's highly time-sensitive but hopefully, because I have a few frozen, I have more options."
Bournemouth's Louise Biggs welcomed her son Fletcher last August after a lengthy fertility treatment and deciding to utilise donor eggs.
Ms Biggs said: "After five rounds of IVF treatment at another centre we moved to Complete Fertility. Mentally, I was very prepared to continue and stopping was not an option. I had one round of IVF at Complete before it was suggested I try something else. One of our options was using donor eggs, which we discussed and agreed to try."
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