FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, May 19, 2009

First Frozen Egg Pregnancy in Arizona

TEMPE, AZ. (May 2009)—The Fertility Treatment Center (FTC) announced today that it has achieved the first successful In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) pregnancy in Arizona and the Southwestern United States using frozen human eggs (oocytes). The oocytes were frozen, then later thawed, fertilized, and transferred into the uterus of our patient, who is now two months pregnant.  Using a freezing device invented by embryologist Jun Tao, PhD, HLCD, the procedure was performed at FTC in the ASU Research Park in Tempe.  Three additional thawed eggs were fertilized and the resulting embryos subsequently re-frozen for future transfer in the patient’s uterus.

“This technology has been evolving for several years and we have proceeded cautiously, following scientific standards and guidelines set forth by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine”, said H. Randall Craig, MD, Medical Director at FTC. “To achieve a viable, ongoing pregnancy with our first case is very encouraging.”

Human sperm and embryos have been successfully frozen for several decades, but human eggs did not survive freezing until recent technology was developed. The freezing technique, known as vitrification, preserves a woman’s eggs after they have been removed from her ovaries. Frozen eggs can be stored indefinitely, and then thawed for fertilization and implantation into the uterus, according to Dr. Tao, the IVF Laboratory Director at FTC.

Egg freezing allows women undergoing cancer treatments or surgical removal of the ovaries to preserve their fertility.  “Young women diagnosed with cancer require treatments that can dramatically reduce their chances of achieving pregnancy”, Dr. Craig says.  “Egg freezing offers hope that they can have children after successful cancer therapy.”

A significant number of women who delay childbearing to pursue professional careers would also benefit from freezing their eggs at a younger age in order to optimize the chance for future pregnancy.  “Before long, freezing and storing a college student’s eggs may be the ideal graduation gift”, according to Dr. Craig.

In addition to the first frozen egg pregnancy in Arizona, FTC was also the first fertility center in the Southwestern U.S. to achieve a pregnancy using preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), resulting  in a child born free of Huntington’s disease. 

“Since opening our doors in 1990, FTC has been Arizona’s leader in the field of reproductive medicine, offering patients the latest and most advanced fertility therapies to maximize the chance of achieving a successful pregnancy”, said Dr. Craig. “Cutting-edge research, thousands of babies, and many, many heartwarming stories validate our mission.”

About Fertility Treatment Center: Founded in 1990, Fertility Treatment Center (FTC), with offices in Tempe, Scottsdale, and Glendale, AZ, is a center of service excellence in providing state-of-the-art, personalized reproductive care to female and male patients. Infertility board certified physicians H. Randall Craig, MD, FACOG, Medical Director, and Jun Tao, PhD, HCLD, IVF & Andrology Laboratory Director, lead a highly trained and experienced clinical and laboratory staff who have received advanced, sub-specialty training in reproductive medicine.  FTC has an outstanding record in all areas of infertility diagnosis and treatment including IVF (in vitro fertilization), FET (frozen embryo transfer), IUI (intrauterine insemination), Tubal Reversal), and PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis). FTC offers many treatment options from basic to advanced reproductive technology, and is a leader in developing and offering services that increase patients’ chances of achieving pregnancy. For more information, please visit www.fertilitytreatmentcenter.com or call 480-831-2445.