Many women nowadays postpone starting a family for various reasons (career, lack or partner, other personal reasons). As the years advance, the quality of their egg cells (ova) dwindles, and when they are ready to become pregnant they may experience difficulties due to the aging of their eggs.
One of the solutions available today is oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing), a process in which egg cells are extracted from the woman's ovaries at the IVF unit, then frozen in special conditions and preserved for a later time. This process is approved by the Israeli Ministry of Health for women between the ages of 30-40. The process entails hormonal stimulation of the ovaries to produce more eggs, extraction of the eggs under general anesthesia, and their cryopreservation for five years.
This is an expensive process that requires skill, experience and the proper infrastructure.
Shaare Zedek Medical Center operates one of the largest IVF units in Israel, with 1200 extractions a year and over 100 cryopreservation treatments already performed. Five pregnancies have been achieved through this process and three women already gave birth.
The treatment isn't included in the Israeli health basket and the entirety of the cost is financed by the woman, usually at a cost of between NIS 10,000-20,000 per treatment (depending on the facility that administers the treatment).
In recognition of the need for this kind of service, the IVF unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center offers this treatment at a substantial discount of NIS 3,500 NIS.