ObjectiveOocyte cryopreservation enables the storage of genetic material, especially
in situations where the ovarian function is compromised, also for women
desiring to postpone maternity. Before 2012, oocyte cryopreservation was
still experimental, and the success of the procedure was uncertain; however,
it was the only possibility that women had for fertility preservation. Thus,
we aim to report a case of a birth after 13 years of elective oocyte
cryopreservation.Case DescriptionAt 49 years of age, the patient returned to our reproductive center with the
desire to get pregnant, using oocytes that had been frozen for 13 years. The
endometrium was prepared, and the oocytes were thawed using the slow
procedure method. Four of the six oocytes thawed survived (66%) and were
inseminated; three fertilized and started their development. The transfer of
two embryos on the third day of development was performed. Clinical
pregnancy was confirmed via ultrasound and came to term with the birth of a
healthy boy.DiscussionAlthough the vitrification procedure has shown to be a better
cryopreservation technique when compared to slow freezing, the latter
represented an important role when patients wanted to cryopreserve oocytes
in the early 2000s. Even many years later, this technique reveals its
efficacy, preserving the viability and quality of oocytes stored in nitrogen
tanks. After a literature review, this case seems to be the largest interval
between oocyte cryopreservation and its use, with achieved pregnancy, in
Brazil.