Cryopreserving Ovaries

Filed in archive IVF and Assisted Pregnancies , Medical Issues , Trying To Conceive on May 13, 2008

In a breakthrough medical case, German scientists report of having successfully re-transplanting ovarian tissues in a patient following a period of cryopreservation. In this particular case, the ovarian tissues were removed prior to cancer therapy to prevent them from getting damaged, which may possibly result to infertility. After the re-transplantation, she reported having meses back, and in theory should be able to get pregnant.

In this particular case, harvesting and re-transplanting the ovaries hay a valid and legitimate medical grounds. But I wonder... could this technique then be used (or misused?) to postpone pregnancy? Are we soon going to see women in their 30s perhaps, having their ovaries preserved this way, to be used at a later time, when they're "more ready" to face motherhood? Or could this perhaps be a possible route to treat infertility- women who can't bear children because of ovarian issues getting cryopreserved ovaries from other women?

Sounds surreal. But perhaps not for long anymore.