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Egg freezing before ovary removal: what it involves and when it is possible | CION Cancer Clinics
If both ovaries are to be removed and you may want children later, eggs or embryos can often be collected and frozen in the weeks before the operation. It has to happen before surgery, because there is nothing to collect afterwards. It delays the operation by a few weeks, which is safe for some readers and not for others. This page explains the process, the choices and what to ask. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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The short answer
Can eggs be frozen before the ovaries are removed?
Yes, in many cases. If both ovaries are to be removed and you may want children later, eggs or embryos can be collected and frozen in the weeks before the operation. It has to happen before surgery, because once the ovaries are gone there is nothing left to collect from.
Why the timing is everything
Egg collection needs working ovaries. The process takes roughly two weeks of hormone injections and one short collection procedure, so the operation is delayed by a few weeks. Whether that delay is safe depends on why the ovaries are being removed. For an inherited gene fault with no cancer found, it usually is. For a cancer that is already present, your surgeon has to weigh the wait, and the answer is sometimes no.
Who it is not for
It is not offered where the cancer is growing fast and the delay would put you at real risk. It is not usually offered after the natural menopause, because there are few eggs left to collect. It is rarely needed when only one ovary is being removed, because the other keeps working. And it is of little use if the womb is also being removed and you would not consider a surrogate.
This page cannot tell you whether your operation can wait, or how many eggs you are likely to get. Your surgeon answers the first and a fertility specialist the second. Ask for the referral the day the operation is first discussed.How it is done
What egg freezing actually involves
The first fertility visit
A blood test and an internal ultrasound scan estimate how many eggs the ovaries are likely to give. The specialist explains eggs against embryos, the cost, and whether the timing fits your surgery date.
Hormone injections
Daily injections under the skin, which you or a family member give at home, encourage several eggs to ripen at once instead of the usual one. Scans every few days show how they are growing. Bloating and mood swings are common during this fortnight.
The collection
A short procedure under sedation. A fine needle passed through the vaginal wall, guided by ultrasound, draws the eggs out of the ovary. You go home the same day and can usually return to normal activity the next.
Freezing and storage
Eggs are frozen on their own, or fertilised with your partner's sperm first and frozen as embryos. They are stored at the fertility centre, with a yearly fee, until you are ready and your oncologist agrees.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistThe choices
Eggs, embryos, or something else
Each option suits a different situation. The fertility specialist will say which are open to you.
Freezing eggs
Eggs are frozen unfertilised. This suits a woman without a partner, or who does not want to decide now who the father will be. The eggs are thawed and fertilised later, and not every egg survives the thaw.
Freezing embryos
Eggs are fertilised with a partner's sperm before freezing. Embryos tend to survive thawing well and give the clearest picture of what you have stored. It ties the embryos to that partner, which some couples are comfortable with and some are not.
Freezing ovarian tissue
A strip of the ovary is frozen at the time of surgery and put back later. It is still an uncommon technique and is not suitable where the ovary itself may contain cancer cells. Ask your centre whether it is offered at all before counting on it.
Not freezing anything
A fair choice, and many women make it. Donor eggs with your own womb remain possible later, and so does adoption. Choosing not to freeze is not a failure to plan; it is one of the plans.
On the fertility letter
Words you will meet, in plain language
- AMH
- Anti-Müllerian hormone. A blood test that estimates how many eggs the ovaries have left. A lower figure means fewer eggs are likely to be collected.
- Antral follicle count
- The number of small egg sacs seen on an internal scan at the start of a cycle. It is the other main measure of the egg store.
- Oocyte
- The medical word for an egg. Oocyte cryopreservation means egg freezing.
- Vitrification
- The fast-freezing method used for eggs and embryos today. It is why frozen eggs now survive thawing far better than they once did.
- Stimulation
- The fortnight of hormone injections that makes several eggs ripen together. A random-start cycle means it begins at any point in your period cycle, which saves time before surgery.
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Commonly believed
Three things families say, and what is actually true
"The hormone injections will feed the
cancer."
This is the most common fear, and it is why the fertility specialist and the oncologist talk to each other before a cycle begins. For hormone-sensitive cancers the stimulation is adjusted, and for some it is not offered. The decision is made together, not by the fertility centre alone.
"She is not married yet, so there is nothing to
freeze."
Eggs can be frozen without a partner. That is the whole point of freezing eggs rather than embryos. Marriage and a partner can come later; the eggs cannot be collected later.
"Freezing eggs means she will definitely be able
to have a baby."
It does not. Frozen eggs are a chance, not a promise. Not every egg survives the thaw, not every thawed egg fertilises, and not every embryo implants. The younger you are at collection, the stronger the chance, which is why it is worth doing now rather than hoping for later.
Did you know
A stimulation cycle does not have to wait for your next period. A random-start cycle can begin within days of the decision, which is often the difference between fitting egg freezing in before surgery and missing the window altogether.
Being straight with you
What it costs, and what to ask
Egg freezing is done at a fertility centre, not by the cancer surgeon, and it is paid for separately from the operation. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS do not usually cover it, and most cashless insurers exclude fertility treatment even when the cause is cancer. Ask the fertility centre for a written estimate that includes the injections, the collection and the yearly storage fee before you begin.
Questions to take to the surgeon
Can my operation safely wait for one collection cycle? Will the womb be kept? Is my cancer, if there is one, sensitive to oestrogen, and does that change how the stimulation is done? Who will speak to the fertility centre, and when?
Questions to take to the fertility specialist
How many eggs are you likely to collect from me, given my age and my scan? Should I freeze eggs or embryos? What does storage cost each year, and what happens to the eggs if I stop paying or if I die? Can the cycle start now rather than at my next period?
Nobody can tell you today whether a frozen egg will become a child. What can be said is that the chance exists only if the eggs are collected before the ovaries are removed. If you are unsure, ask for the fertility visit anyway.Questions we are asked
Common questions about egg freezing before ovary removal
How long does egg freezing delay the operation?
Usually by a few weeks. The injections run for about a fortnight, the collection takes one morning, and the surgery can be booked soon after. If the cycle starts at once rather than waiting for a period, the whole delay is shorter. Your surgeon will say whether that wait is safe in your case.
Is it safe to take fertility hormones if I have cancer?
For many cancers, yes. For cancers that are fed by oestrogen, the fertility specialist adjusts the medicines to keep oestrogen levels lower, and in some situations advises against it. The oncologist and the fertility specialist decide this together. Do not start a cycle without your oncologist knowing.
How many eggs do I need to freeze?
There is no single number. More eggs give a higher chance, and younger eggs give a higher chance per egg. The specialist will estimate from your age, blood test and scan how many one cycle is likely to yield, and whether a second cycle is realistic before surgery.
Can I freeze eggs if I do not have a partner?
Yes. Eggs are frozen unfertilised and can be fertilised years later with a partner's sperm or donor sperm. This is the usual choice for an unmarried woman. Embryo freezing needs sperm now, and ties the embryos to that partner.
Does the collection hurt?
It is done under sedation, so you are asleep or very drowsy and feel nothing during it. Afterwards there is usually some cramping and bloating for a day or two, eased by ordinary pain relief. You need someone to take you home and should rest that day.
How long can the eggs stay frozen?
Many years. Eggs and embryos do not weaken with time in storage, so the limit is set by the centre's rules, the storage fee and the law rather than by biology. Ask the centre what its maximum storage period is and what happens when it is reached.
Will I be able to carry the pregnancy myself?
If your womb is kept, usually yes. The thawed embryo is placed in the womb and hormone support is given, because without ovaries your body cannot make it. If the womb is also removed, the frozen eggs can only be used with a surrogate. Ask before surgery which applies to you.
What if the surgeon says there is no time?
Then the operation comes first, and that is the right order when a cancer is growing. Ask whether the womb can be kept, because donor eggs remain a route to pregnancy later. Ask too about ovarian tissue freezing, which is done during the operation and adds no delay, though few centres offer it.
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Sources
- NHS — IVF
- National Cancer Institute — Fertility Issues in Girls and Women with Cancer
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for ovarian cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Cancer information and support
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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Talk to us
Both ovaries coming out and want to keep the option of children?
Call the helpline or send us your report. A surgical oncologist will tell you whether a fertility visit fits before your date, and who to see. One helpline serves every CION centre.